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The death of Tinashe Chitsungo, a 34-year-old Zimbabwean migrant, in a Johannesburg public hospital on August 15, 2025, has left South Africans and the Zimbabwean diaspora heartbroken, with many blaming Operation Dudula and the March and March movement for blocking healthcare workers from treating him.
Chitsungo, who came to South Africa seeking work to support his family, was allegedly turned away at Hillbrow Community Clinic by anti-migrant protesters who demanded he “go back to his country” or seek private care, a delay that proved fatal and sparked a national outcry over xenophobia and access to healthcare.
Chitsungo, a father of two from Harare, fell gravely ill with severe chest pains and sought help at the clinic. His cousin, Miriam Dube, recounted the chilling ordeal: “He was coughing blood, struggling to breathe, but Operation Dudula members at the gate told him to go back to Zimbabwe or find a private clinic.
They stopped nurses from helping him, saying he’s not South African. By the time he reached the hospital, it was too late—he died waiting for a bed.” Dube’s voice trembled as she added, “He was a good man, here to provide for his kids. Now they’re left with nothing.”
The incident, reported by sources like The Mercury and Daily Maverick, is part of a broader campaign by groups under the “Put South Africa First” banner, including Operation Dudula and March and March, who have been manning entrances at facilities like Addington Hospital in Durban, RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth, and Rosettenville and Hillbrow Clinics in Johannesburg.
These groups demand ID documents to verify South African citizenship, accusing undocumented migrants of straining healthcare resources. At Rosettenville, protesters claimed the clinic was “on the brink of collapse,” while a Zimbabwean mother was denied her clinic card, needed for private care, because she lacked South African ID.
The National Department of Health condemned the blockades as “illegal,” with spokesperson Foster Mohale citing violations of Section 27 of the Constitution, the National Health Act, and the Refugees Act of 1998. “No one has the right to block medical treatment,” Mohale stated, emphasizing universal healthcare access.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko echoed this, noting, “Our Constitution protects everyone. Chasing people away isn’t the solution.” The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) called the actions “discriminatory and unlawful,” pointing to systemic issues like staff shortages and long wait times that fuel tensions.
Operation Dudula, led by figures like Zandile Dabula, has vowed to escalate its campaign, even demanding the replacement of legally employed foreign doctors with South Africans. Meanwhile, the Forum for South Africa (FOSA) argued that undocumented migrants burden the system, with spokesperson Tebogo Mashilompane claiming they deprive citizens and legal migrants of care. Yet, only immigration officers and SAPS are legally authorized to demand documentation, rendering the groups’ actions vigilante justice.
Gauteng police, under Brigadier Brenda Muridili, have deployed officers to maintain order, with arrests reported at Lilian Ngoyi Clinic in Soweto on August 12, 2025, for public violence and trespassing. Despite this, no arrests have been made directly linked to Chitsungo’s case, and investigations into his death are ongoing.
The tragedy has sparked a firestorm on X, with posts reflecting raw grief and anger. “A man died because he was told to go back to his country for treatment. This is heartbreaking,” one post read. Another demanded, “How many more must die before we stop this madness?” Chitsungo’s family, unable to afford repatriation, plans a small funeral in Johannesburg, while his children in Harare face a future without their father’s support.
As South Africa grapples with this loss, Chitsungo’s death has become a rallying cry against xenophobic barriers to healthcare. The incident lays bare the deadly consequences of vigilante actions in a nation wrestling with resource constraints and social tensions, leaving a grieving family and a shaken community demanding justice and change.
