By A Correspondent| South Africa’s Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, has sharply criticized Zimbabwe for its failing health system, which has led to an influx of patients into South African hospitals. Over the years, Zimbabwe’s public healthcare has severely deteriorated, struggling to supply even basic medications like painkillers, while the government diverts funds to other sectors.

Motsoaledi, who took office on July 4, drew an analogy, comparing some African leaders to a father who sends his children to eat at a neighbor’s house without consulting the neighbor. He expressed these sentiments during an African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee Lekgotla in Benoni last week.

He pointed out the unfairness of the situation, sharing an incident where a Zimbabwean general practitioner sent a stage 4 cancer patient to South Africa with a note requesting a pint of blood. “Blood is not manufactured; it comes from people,” he said, emphasizing that Zimbabwe could instead seek help from South Africa to organize blood donations within their own country.

Motsoaledi’s comments echo concerns previously raised by Phophi Ramathuba, the former Limpopo province Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC), who criticized the Zimbabwean government for overburdening South Africa’s health system. Ramathuba was recently elected as the first female Premier of Limpopo.

The ongoing migration of Zimbabweans seeking healthcare in South Africa, particularly in the Limpopo province, highlights the dire state of Zimbabwe’s health sector. Motsoaledi noted that African leaders often neglect their own health systems, preferring to seek treatment abroad—a practice he urged to end.

This issue was exemplified by the late former President Robert Mugabe, who frequently traveled to Asia for medical treatment, eventually passing away in Singapore in September 2019. Critics attribute Zimbabwe’s healthcare decline to chronic underfunding, leading to a mass exodus of skilled professionals in search of better opportunities abroad, while development partners attempt to fill the gaps in the system.