Foreigners Must Not Be Denied Access To Hospitals Or Schools, Says Ramaphosa
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has said that foreign nationals living in South Africa must not be targeted or denied access to essential services such as hospitals and schools.
He made the remarks while delivering his second State of the Nation Address under the Government of National Unity at Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, 12 February 2026. Ramaphosa said:
“We will not tolerate violence and acts of lawlessness directed at foreign nationals. No foreign national should be unlawfully barred from accessing public facilities, including health facilities and schools.”
In recent years, foreign nationals in South Africa have been subjected to repeated attacks, with incidents continuing into 2024 and 2025.
In May 2025, three foreign nationals were killed in violent revenge attacks in the Eastern Cape.
In August 2024, a Zimbabwean man was brutally assaulted in Johannesburg by a group claiming to be officials from the Department of Home Affairs.
From late 2025 into January 2026, Operation Dudula launched a campaign to prevent undocumented foreign children from enrolling in public schools.
Its leader, Zandile Dabula, publicly declared that “no illegal foreign child will be allowed to attend a public school” and vowed to station members at schools to enforce the stance.
There have also been incidents in which foreign nationals were blocked from accessing clinics and hospitals, particularly in 2025.
In July that year, reports emerged of certain community groups and activists, including March and March, physically preventing foreigners from entering public healthcare facilities.
Videos circulated on social media showed members of political parties and non-profit organisations stationed outside clinics and hospitals, insisting that services were “strictly for South Africans”.
