Zimbabwe Demands Healthcare For Its Citizens Abroad
A senior Zimbabwean official has branded the denial of healthcare to Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa as “inhumane.” The comments were made in Parliament, highlighting a growing crisis for migrants. The Deputy Minister of Health stated that Zimbabweans are significant contributors to the South African economy and deserve access to medical treatment.
This situation is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment, with groups like Operation Dudula actively blocking foreign nationals from entering clinics. Medical humanitarian organisations have confirmed the alarming trend, revealing that vulnerable patients are being turned away, leaving them in a state of fear and without critical medication.
“Health Is Key To Everyone”: Deputy Minister’s Plea
The issue was thrust into the spotlight during a parliamentary session in Harare on Wednesday, 8 October 2025. Responding to a question from Hon. L. Ncube, the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Sleiman Kwidini, expressed his profound concern. He addressed the reports of Zimbabweans being denied access to hospitals and clinics in South Africa.
“In humanity cases, if someone is sick in any way, there is no way one can be denied access to health because health is key to everyone,” Hon. Kwidini told the National Assembly.
He directly linked the problem to the actions of groups like Operation Dudula, describing their behaviour as a form of xenophobic attack. The Deputy Minister firmly rejected the notion that migrants are a drain on South Africa, instead pointing to their positive economic role.
“Most of these foreign nationals, especially ours, are growing the South African economy by providing services. It is an issue that needs to be looked into in a holistic approach between the governments so that no one is denied access to healthcare services,” he said.
When questioned about existing bilateral agreements, Hon. Kwidini noted that some Zimbabwean medical aid schemes do permit treatment in South Africa. However, he acknowledged the immense challenges faced by unregistered migrants, stating:
“Patients who are facing challenges abroad, they are not registered in that country and they are not welcome in those countries with proper paperwork and documentation.”
“They Should Pay”: Operation Dudula Fires Back
Kwidini’s comments in Parliament came almost a month after Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula spoke to IOL. On 8 September 2025, Dabula dismissed criticism from Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu-PF, and placed the blame for migration on Zimbabwe’s leadership.
“They should focus on fixing their country, Zimbabwe,” Dabula said. “That is why the very same Zimbabweans are fleeing to South Africa, to take up our spaces.”
She clarified that her movement is not advocating for a complete denial of medical care. Instead, she insisted that foreign nationals must pay for the services they use.
“We are not saying they shouldn’t get medical treatment, we are saying they should go to public facilities and pay for it, or rather go to private facilities because these people are working – that is what they always claim,” she said.
Dabula also accused Zanu-PF of having a “problematic” relationship with South Africa’s ruling ANC, warning that it could lead South Africa down a similar path of decline.
“Highly Distressing And Unacceptable”: MSF Reports Widespread Blockages
In a press release dated 7 August 2025, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported “persistent and systematic physical blocking of non-South Africans from accessing healthcare” in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. MSF teams said patients were being turned away from more than half of the facilities they visited, sometimes with security staff working in collusion with anti-migrant groups.
One patient, Thando, a high-risk pregnant woman, told MSF she was forced out of a hospital queue in Gauteng:
“He waved it, walking around and showing us. He said that if any of us didn’t have something like what he was holding, or if a passport didn’t have a permit, we should start getting out. The nurses were there, and they started laughing, supporting him.”
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