Civic Group Calls For Emergency HIV Services For Zimbabweans In South Africa

Humane Human Rights (HHR), a Zimbabwean civic organisation, has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to set up an emergency HIV treatment centre at the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa.

The appeal follows intensified actions by South African vigilante groups, including Operation Dudula and March on March, aimed at preventing foreign nationals, particularly Zimbabweans, from accessing life-saving medication in public hospitals.

In a letter to President Mnangagwa, HHR warned that without prompt intervention, many Zimbabweans living with HIV in South Africa face the risk of defaulting on their medication. The letter reads in part:

“We plead with our government to set up an urgent treatment centre at the Zimbabwean embassy in the Republic of South Africa to provide HIV medication for Zimbabweans domiciled in the Republic of South Africa.

“Our people will perish because of being denied medical treatment in SA public hospitals.”

HHR has also called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Union (EU), describing the situation as a “human rights emergency.” The letter addressed to the WHO and EU reads:

“This is inhumane and must not be condoned by anyone in the world. While the government of South Africa has strongly condemned this behaviour of the Dudula group, they continue unperturbed as there is no one stopping them from blocking and harassing women, children and others while trying to gain entry to the public hospitals.”

Amid the turmoil, a multinational team of health professionals has launched a nurse-led telehealth service to support affected individuals.

Butholezwe Nyathi, a Zimbabwean nurse coordinating the initiative, said their WhatsApp helpline has been inundated with urgent requests for assistance, particularly from sex workers and TB patients concerned about the spread of infections.

The telehealth project seeks to overcome xenophobic barriers by providing confidential medical consultations, ART and TB medication support, and advocacy for marginalised migrants via WhatsApp.

While South Africa’s government and opposition figures, including Julius Malema, have condemned the actions of Operation Dudula, the vigilante groups continue their activities unabated.

More: NewsDay

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