The woman, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, delivered her baby alone at home. She avoided public clinics because she feared harassment and being turned away after earlier confrontations with protestors linked to the attacks.
Dudula Clinic Attacks Disrupt Healthcare Access
Operation Dudula members have staged protests at public clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. They block patients at entrances and demand to see documentation before allowing entry. These Dudula clinic attacks have prevented foreign nationals, including pregnant women, from receiving essential maternal and neonatal care.
The mother said she endured verbal abuse during previous visits to clinics. Expecting similar hostility, she chose to stay home when labour began, a decision that put her and her newborn at risk.
Court Order Ignored Amid Dudula Clinic Attacks
In 2023, the Gauteng High Court ruled that clinics must provide free healthcare to all pregnant and lactating women and children, regardless of nationality. The court also ordered clinics to display notices outlining these rights.
Health activists report that some facilities have not followed the order. At Jeppe Clinic, they found no notice on display. Witnesses also saw Dudula members blocking immigrants from entering, openly defying the court’s directive. These incidents show how Dudula clinic attacks persist despite legal protections.
Legal Action Challenges Dudula Clinic Attacks
The Socio-Economic Rights Institute, along with Kopanang Afrika Against Xenophobia, Abahlali BaseMjondolo and the Inner City Federation, has taken Operation Dudula to the Gauteng High Court. They are seeking an order to stop the group from interfering with healthcare access. Judgment is still pending, leaving affected patients without clear recourse.
Human Rights Groups Condemn Clinic Blockades
Civil rights organisations and the South African Human Rights Commission have strongly condemned the Dudula clinic attacks. They say the protests violate constitutional rights and threaten public health. Denying care, they warn, can result in life-threatening delays for mothers and newborns.
The Tembisa mother’s ordeal illustrates how Dudula clinic attacks undermine healthcare access and target vulnerable communities. Activists warn that her case is part of a broader pattern of discrimination in South Africa’s public health system and call for urgent action to stop these blockades.
