‘We are unapologetic about it’ – PA defends McKenzie amid calls for his arrest

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is rallying behind its president and Central Karoo District mayor Gayton Mckenzie amid calls by the Progressive Health Forum (PHF) for his arrest over his comments on illegal immigrants.

McKenzie has been in the spotlight following his party’s statement in support of Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba and the comments he made over the weekend during the unveiling of Nathaniel Julies’ tombstone.

Ramathuba came under fire following a video in which she “explains” to a foreign national patient why she should pay for the medical procedure she had just received at a public hospital.

In support of Ramathuba, the PA said in a statement: “There are very few countries, if any, where a foreign national with no legal documentation can expect to receive the same level of healthcare treatment as a citizen of that country. Those who have joined the bandwagon of outrage against Limpopo MEC of Health Phophi Ramathuba appear to think South Africa must be the exception.

READ MORE: WATCH: MP calls for Zimbabwe health minister to be summoned to parly after Dr Phophi’s video

“It is a simple fact that illegal immigrants are placing all services of government under enormous strain. They are far from the only problem besetting our country, but to try to downplay the scale of the problem is something that seems only to be done by those among us privileged enough to afford medical aid and private healthcare.”

‘I would never criticise Zimbabwe for doing the same’

At the weekend, McKenzie angered some NGOs after saying he would not hesitate to switch off a foreign national’s oxygen to save a South African.

He said: “2024 is around the corner, we shall go house to house, we shall do citizens’ arrest, we shall remove them from this country. Their presidents are stealing money and enjoying holidays on the sea, instead of fighting their presidents, they want to fight our police here in Hillbrow. We cannot allow people that get beaten up in Zimbabwe and Mozambique by the police in their own countries, and run away but when they come here they want to stand man to man with our police. Police, where are your bullets when these people are attacking you, use the same technique that you used on our child [Julies]. Shoot them!”

“I would do that [switch off the oxygen], as a government official I’m supposed to do that. If there is a South African and a Zimbabwean or Mozambican and the South African needs the oxygen that is being given to a foreign national, I would do it. It is my duty as a government official. I would never criticise the Zimbabwe government for doing the same,” McKenzie added in an interview with eNCA on Tuesday.

‘We need to put South Africans first’

The PA has defended its leader, saying he is not calling for hatred on illegal immigrants.

“We are unapologetic about it, we need to start telling the difference between being xenophobic and patriotic. What our president is pressing is not hatred to illegal foreigners but that there is a clear prioritisation of illegal foreigners at the expense of South Africans. He is saying we need to put South Africans first and he’s saying if he was the leader of the nation, he would take decisive action that if there is a choice between a South African citizen having to receive much needed medical care in our hospital, he would prioritise the South African citizen. Why don’t these organisations chastising our president not go to these countries and sanction these presidents who are allowing their citizens to come to South Africa to overburden our healthcare facilities,” PA’s Ashley Sauls told Newzroom Afrika.

But the PHF has labelled McKenzie’s comments as hate speech and called for his arrest.

“This is hate speech of the worst possible thought. He is proposing the murder of innocents in their hospital beds. This is the language of ethnic cleansing and genocide. It’s outlandish, even in the toxic standard of xenophobia that we are subjected to daily. There must be no room in Africa for anyone to spew such raw hatred and incitement to murder. The law has been clearly broken here. Law enforcement must act on this and bring charges that must be tested in a court of law,” Dr Aslam Dasoo told eNCA.

ALSO READ: Limpopo Health MEC: Ramaphosa asked to protect Ramathuba after rant at patient

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde