The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has found the Limpopo Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba guilty of unprofessional conduct over her rants at a Zimbabwean patient last year in August.
Ramathuba’s dehumanising rant to a Zimbabwean patient went viral and attracted mixed feelings across the two countries.
However, HPCSA eventually summoned her after Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia – KAAX, along with several human rights and health advocacy organizations, laid a complaint against the health professional.
Ramathuba was recorded while ranting at a bedridden Zimbabwean patient who had crossed into the neighbouring country to seek medical services.
Ramathuba came under fire last year after a video of her ranting about Zimbabwean migrants abusing the health resources in Limpopo went viral.
In the video, Ramathuba was seen telling a visibly traumatized Zimbabwean patient that her president Emmerson Mnangagwa does not contribute anything towards the province’s health budget.
She said she found it improper to stretch her province’s health budget to cater for foreigners.
Ramathuba’s comments divided Zimbabweans with some saying she was telling the truth about citizens of a country with a broken health system crossing borders to find health services outside.
