AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Archbishop of Durban: "Foreigners, even if illegal, have the right to medical care"

Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) – Foreigners, especially when they are sick and in need, should be treated with respect and receive the necessary medical care. This is what Archbishop Siegfried Mandla Jwara (CMM) of Durban called for in a message dated August 23, referring to protests outside public health facilities in South Africa, where demonstrators are preventing undocumented foreigners from accessing medical care.
Archbishop Jwara recalled that "on July 11, 2025, the Catholic Healthcare Association of South Africa denounced the current crisis in some national health facilities in our country, where foreign citizens are sometimes violently expelled by individuals who act contrary to the principles of the Church's social teaching and the Christian values of love, mercy, and compassion."
"I would like to take this opportunity," said the Archbishop of Durban, "to lend my own voice in support of the marginalized, who suffer the injustices of persecution and rejection based solely on their being foreign nationals. I do so having been moved by the plight of those who come to our country, a beacon of liberty and hope for many, seeking refuge under our flag." "They are to be treated with love and respect and afforded every right as is available to seek treatment in situations that require medical intervention," appealed the Archbishop of Durban.
"I therefore encourage every person to recall being made in the image and likeness of God, and that their brother or sister, from whatever nation, tribe, or tongue, is to be treated with dignity and allowed within the law to seek aid and receive aid without fear or obstruction. Finally, I earnestly plead with the civil authorities to do whatever they can to resolve the matter with all possible haste, for lives are at stake," concluded the Archbishop.
Since June, there have been numerous incidents in several South African provinces, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, in which foreign citizens have been denied access to healthcare in the country's public facilities. According to protesters, public healthcare facilities are overcrowded and priority should be given to South African citizens.
It was the so-called "Operation Dudula," an anti-migrant group led by Zandile Dabula, launched a national campaign in June to prevent undocumented foreign citizens from receiving treatment in public healthcare facilities. The group argues that the public healthcare system is overburdened and that priority should be given to South African citizens. The "March and March" movement, a non-governmental organization that campaigns against the employment of undocumented foreigners in South Africa and was founded in March 2024 by radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, has joined "Operation Dudula." (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 25/8/2025)

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