The EFF in Limpopo say they want the  MEC for health in their province not to participate in today's sitting of the State of the Province address.It said it would call on Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha to fire the MEC if she failed to recuse herself from the SOPA. They claim MEC Phophi Ramathuba does  not deserve to be  present as she had previously  displayed xenophobic behaviour, when she told a patient that she was putting strain on her budget as she was not registered in South Africa. Now the EFF says she should recuse herself from the sitting and they will ask the Premier to fire her and release her from her duties after being found guilty for her conduct by the  Health Professions Council of South Africa.

XENOPHOBIA ENABLER

Ramathuba was captured on video telling a Zimbabwean national  patient that she needs to pay for the services. The incident happened  last year in August  at Bela Bela Regioanl hospital in Limpopo. Ramathuba was captured saying,"You are speaking Shona so how do you find yourself in Bela Bela, I'm not given money by your president Emmerson Mnangagwa to operate on you guys. You are killing my health systems, I'm not running a charity department here. Stats SA comes to me and tells me that in Limpopo I have 5,7million people and 91 percent of them don't have medical aid, only  9 percent have it and then they take that information to treasury for a budget and I'm only allocated funds for the people in my province. Now I find myself having to pay for operations that are not my responsibility. When my people from Limpopo want health care services,they can't get it and that is angering the community. I'm from George Masebe and I found them operating on more Mozambique nationals and you are not registered anywhere ,you are even illegal yet you are accusing me. This is really unfair. We are unable to access healthcare in other countries."

PAYING FOR HER SINS

A week ago Ramathuba was found guilty of misconduct by the Health Professions Council of South Africa.for ranting at the  bedridden Zimbabwean patient. However, Ramathuba  argued that her comments were not xenophobic but merely addressed Zimbabwe's broken health system which was now negatively impacting her country's health system. The EFF welcomed the council's report and said, "The EFF welcomes the findings by the HPCSA. However, the sanction of reprimand is too soft, given the damage her actions caused to the health sector. It was because of her actions that vigilante groups, like Operation Dudula, threatened and victimised fellow African brothers and sisters seeking healthcare services in South Africa." Limpopo Health spokesperson Niel Shikwamba said, "The MEC has been invited like all other members of the Exco and she will honour the invitation.'