Malema: We will expose shenanigans in health sector

EFF leader Julius Malema says this is part of a campaign to address the dire situation in many state hospitals. 

"We realized that we are leaving health behind, so we must bring health together with land, education and minimum wage.

"Every month we will be in every hospital which is performing badly in South Africa to expose those shenanigans," Malema told supporters outside Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. 

The leader of the EFF also took a jab at President Cyril Ramaphosa - challenging him to donate his salary to the health sector. 

"We want to challenge President Ramaphosa who says he cares about people. You are a billionaire, you have too much money. 

"Why do you take a salary? Stop taking a salary because you have too much money, you don't need that money," Malema said. "Come and donate that money here at Baragwanath Hospital so that we may save lives." 

Malema also challenged Ramaphosa to do a walk-about in Joburg hospitals instead of jogging in Cape Town.

"Ramaphosa must put his money where his mouth is. If he cares about people he must do his walks here at Baragwanath Hospital." 

The EFF launched its Public Healthcare Campaign on Wednesday afternoon, which aims to address the challenges faced by the public healthcare sector.

Lerato Gova, the President of the Young Nurses Indaba also spoke about the challenges faced by nurses. 

"Fighters, it cannot be normal that 24 years into democracy we find ourselves, we find parents still queuing in Bara, still queuing in Lillian Ngoyi where there are no systems. 

"The system is rotten to the core, the department has wasted R55 billion on the flavour of the condoms, but they cannot hire new nurses.  They struggled this year to employ students who are from our communities. These 320 students have not started their training even though they qualify because the department has no funds,"  Gova said.

Meanwhile the EFF also marched to Addington Hospital in Durban.

Members handed over a memorandum to the management of the Hospital demanding better public healthcare services. 

The EFF's deputy secretary-general Hlengiwe Hlophe signed and read out the memorandum, giving officials two weeks to respond.