South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has recently voiced strong criticism against Zimbabwean politicians for seeking medical treatment abroad, suggesting that they should instead focus on improving their health systems. In a recent address at an African National Congress (ANC) event, Motsoaledi highlighted a notable contrast between Zimbabwe and Eswatini regarding medical arrangements. He praised eSwatini for its collaboration with South Africa, where the country refers its citizens for complex medical cases through a well-established medical aid agreement. This arrangement, according to Motsoaledi, is a model that other neighboring countries should follow.
Motsoaledi’s remarks were pointed and direct. He criticized neighboring countries, including Zimbabwe, for allowing their citizens to cross borders illegally for medical procedures. “If you don’t have food and money that your neighbor has, for goodness’ sake, why don’t you ask your neighbor that, ‘Neighbour, we are hungry’? You can’t just throw them away to your neighbors and close your eyes. It’s unfair,” Motsoaledi said.
The Minister particularly highlighted the issue of Zimbabwean citizens traveling to Limpopo in large numbers for basic medical services such as blood transfusions. He expressed frustration over the tendency of African leaders to seek medical treatment abroad while neglecting to address the needs of their citizens. “Part of the reason is that Heads of State on this continent, and it’s the only continent when they are sick, they go to other continents, leaving their nationals alone. And that must stop,” he asserted.
Motsoaledi’s criticism echoes sentiments he expressed back in 2017 during a health ministers conference in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. At that conference, he had criticized African Presidents who traveled abroad for treatment, a stance that reportedly led the then-President Robert Mugabe to walk out of the meeting in protest.
The Minister’s comments underscore a broader debate about the state of health systems in Africa and the responsibilities of political leaders to ensure robust healthcare infrastructure at home. Motsoaledi’s call for improvement in local health services and regional cooperation reflects ongoing concerns about healthcare access and equity across the continent.
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