Interview with a Zimbabwean woman who we shall call Tendai
Amandla!: Could you tell us about yourself?
Tendai: I’m originally from Zimbabwe. I came to South Africa in 2006. I have a work permit. And I’m a single mom of three. My first born is 15 years, it’s a girl; and the second one is nine years, it’s a boy; and the last one is 1 year 9 months; it’s a girl. I live in Kempton Park, Gauteng.
A!: And why did you come to South Africa 20 years ago?
T: Looking for greener pastures. Living in Zimbabwe is very difficult. Even if you’re educated, you can’t get jobs. Although now I’m also unemployed in South Africa. I’m looking for a job.
A!: Most of us have seen on the TV, or on social media, clips of people going to clinics and being turned away from clinics and other healthcare facilities by these people who call themselves Operation Dudula, and I understand you have had that experience. Could you tell us what happened?
Security at Spartan Clinic. The woman in the pink jacket is from Operation Dudula. “These people from Operation Dudula, they are working with the nurses at Spartan clinic. There are certain nurses who don’t want foreigners in that clinic. So they call those people to come. They even come inside the clinic.”
T: I am HIV positive, and I have high blood pressure. Last year, in July, I went to the Spartan clinic in Kempton Park. They served me nicely. They gave me three months of medication. When I went there again in September, there were these people from Operation Dudula. They chased me away from the clinic. They said they wanted a South African ID. Then I said, I don’t have a South African ID. Then they said, No, we don’t want kwerekweres here. If you are taking our medication, you must go to a private hospital. Since then, I’ve been struggling to get to that clinic. Luckily, I have a twin sister, who is also HIV positive, so I was sharing the medication with her. Then, sometime in November, the clinic phoned my twin sister to come and take medication from the mobile clinic, since there was Operation Dudula at the gate of the main clinic. So she took the medication and phoned me to come to the mobile clinic to get some medication for me. They gave me one month, since I have high blood pressure. They said I must return in December. When I went there on the 12th of December, I met a neighbour from Operation Dudula. She chased me away. Since then, I’ve been struggling to get my medication. I went there again last week, and Operation Dudula were there. Tomorrow, I’m trying to go there again because I don’t have medication.
A!: Is there any sign of any law enforcement that’s trying to stop them from doing what they’re doing?
T: I haven’t seen anything. And the other thing is, these people from Operation Dudula, they are working with the nurses at Spartan clinic. There are certain nurses who don’t want foreigners in that clinic. So they call those people to come. They even come inside the clinic. The clinic staff, they are the ones who are giving them access to chase us away. And we hear that at some clinics there’s no longer Operation Dudula there. But I can’t even go to a different clinic. They require a transfer letter. And we can’t even get our transfer letters to go to other clinics, because Operation Dudula won’t let us in. And this is killing me. It’s killing me. I lost a lot of weight. There is a lot of people that I know that has passed away who are HIV positive, due to that thing of not going to the clinic.
A!: What do you think about the people who have done this to you?
T: The South African government want these people to be there at the gate. If they didn’t want this Operation Dudula to be at the clinic gate, they should have chased them a long time ago.
A!: What do you think is the solution to this problem?
T: I don’t think there is any solution except if the police will assist us to enter the clinic or do something. Otherwise, we have a WhatsApp group of Zimbabweans, and sometimes we are able to share medication.
