There’s never a quiet news day in South Africa, and that includes our weekends too. When the vice president of Zimbabwe is airlifted to one of our specialist hospitals as part of a medical emergency, only here could it be described as “going under the radar”. Constantino Chiwenga is currently receiving treatment in Cape Town.
It’s understood that Zimbabwean officials wanted to keep his visit under wraps. That’s according to reportedly who has been confirmed he has been taken to Groote Schuur in need of immediate attention.
Although details of his ailments and illness have yet to be disclosed, the hospital is a world leader in heart surgery. He was rushed from Harare down to the Mother City, rather than a location in Gauteng which is much nearer our neighbourly border.
However, this medical emergency is causing a fair bit of unrest. Protests have been scheduled to march against Chiwenga while he remains in a hospital bed. But what’s got demonstrators so vehemently riled-up?
Zimbabwe protests against Chiwenga
Well, as vice president, Chiwenga is partly responsible for the poor working conditions faced by doctors and hospital staff alike in his own country. Before the new year, many medical professionals had gone on strike to express their anger at the treatment they were receiving from the state.
Lobby group Citizens Forum Zimbabwe (CFZ) have blamed the VP for expressing rampant hypocrisy by seeking treatment outside the country, and feels this proves that the government do not support or trust their own doctors.
“Those in Zimbabwe are now looking up to the Diaspora to keep the voice louder. Demonstrations in Zimbabwe are met with live bullets. We must help our people by telling Chiwenga to go back home and get treated at Parirenyatwa [Harare’s largest hospital] like the rest of us!”
Citizens Forum Zimbabwe
Zimbabweans to make their voices heard in South Africa
CFZ plan to launch their protests from midday on Monday, outside of the UCT Academic Hospital. Social Movement Tajamuka / Sesjikile will join-up with representatives from the opposition MDC and #ThisFlag campaigners based in the Western Cape.
The demonstration is open to anyone and they are ready to tell the former army general to go back home. Unverified videos of the EFF protesting the issue on Monday morning have circulated on social media, but many of them actually seem to be from a rally in 2018.
