By Marcus Moloko
In a week when a video of a woman in ANC regalia went viral for urging communities to accept one loaf per household, the EFF has drawn a stark contrast.
“Our people want clinics and health facilities that are in good condition,” Malema told President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was fielding oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Bread does not heal the sick, clinics do, argued Malema.
He reminded Parliament that back in 2018, his party tabled a bill to keep public clinics open 24 hours a day.
While the ANC busies itself with handouts, South Africans were left queuing outside locked clinic doors at midnight, desperate for care, the EFF leader said.
“Our people want clinics and health facilities that are in good condition, not a bread per house,” Malema said, rejecting the politics of food parcels in exchange for votes.
Malema pressed Ramaphosa directly, urging him to act now rather than wait for the delayed National Health Insurance scheme.
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He cited the dire state of facilities like George Mukhari Academic Hospital and Chilidzini, where outsourcing and corruption had crippled services.
“Stop giving people bread in exchange for votes. Give them what will change their lives for the better,” he said.
Ramaphosa agreed. He acknowledged that rural communities were distressed and in need of 24-hour clinics.
Ramaphosa mentioned possible challenges of staffing shortages as an obstacle.
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He endorsed the EFF’s proposal in principle, calling it “ideal” and promised to push the Department of Health to act.
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