Outside Addington Hospital in South Beach, Durban, a small group of activists in branded T-shirts have taken up positions at the entrance—checking patients’ ID documents and appointment cards before deciding who could enter. They were not hospital staff or security, but members of the March and March organisation, led by a former Durban commercial radio station presenter.
The group claims its actions are lawful, arguing that the Constitution allows only South Africans to access state healthcare, while foreign nationals should seek treatment privately. However, legal experts and rights groups counter that this interpretation is flawed—the relevant clause refers to foreign students and visitors, not to legally resident foreign nationals.
The tension escalated after a video went viral showing a man being attacked by group members. On 1 August, hundreds of supporters marched through Durban in solidarity with the movement’s leader, who was reportedly dismissed from the radio station. During the march, members reinforced their hospital checks, insisting every patient produce proof of South African identification before entering.
Teresa Nortje, chairperson of March and March, said the initiative began after complaints from South Africans about long queues, medication shortages and overcrowded wards.
“People told us they wait from 7am to 4pm, only to be told to come back the next day or that there’s no medication. Benches are full of foreign nationals—it’s not fair,” she said.
She alleged that a woman in need of emergency care waited two days for a bed and that fake identification documents are being used to gain access to state services. “We’re no longer letting foreign nationals into the hospital, even if they have papers,” Nortje said, calling for Home Affairs to deploy officials to hospitals and arrest undocumented migrants.
Nortje insists the campaign is not driven by xenophobia, claiming that South African patients now get faster treatment and more consistent access to medication. She added that communities in Chatsworth and Phoenix have requested similar operations at local clinics.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has condemned the practice, warning that the group has no legal authority to block access to healthcare or enforce immigration laws. “The power to inspect, arrest, or detain undocumented persons lies solely with the Department of Home Affairs, supported by the SAPS when necessary,” said Pavershree Padayachee, SAHRC’s provincial manager in KwaZulu-Natal.
The issue has also drawn in Operation Dudula, which has staged similar actions in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Rights advocates say these actions amount to vigilantism and risk undermining constitutional protections.
One nurse at Addington, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern: “Today it’s checking IDs. Tomorrow it’s deciding who’s sick enough to save. That’s not their job—it’s ours.”
With public healthcare under severe strain, the standoff has ignited a volatile mix of community frustration, constitutional interpretation, and the limits of lawful protest at the doors of South Africa’s hospitals.
