Mboweni under fire for remarks linking Tygerberg Hospital to racial segregation

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has come under fire for remarks he made about Tygerberg Hospital during his mid-term budget speech in Parliament.

While outlining plans to renovate South Africa's public hospitals, Mboweni claimed that wards at the Tygerberg Hospital's still carried the structural legacies of racial segregation.

"This Tygerberg (hospital) – it still has a black and white section. There’s a section where blacks used to go, and whites used to go – structurally it’s still there. So the thing needs to be removed. It’s unbelievable. I thought that was a DA government there", the Finance Minister said.

Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo has slammed Mboweni for his comments, which she says are false.

"This is an outright lie and Minister Mboweni should be made to apologise for misleading the House", the MEC said in a statement.

Mbomobo says Mboweni has insulted healthcare workers with a blatant lie meant to distract the public from the shocking R10.5 billion bailout to SAA.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde also lambasted Mboweni for his comments.

"To the nurses, doctors and officials at Tygerberg Hospital, I am sorry that the National Government has chosen to play politics and lie about something so serious. I want you to know that every person in our province is so proud of what you did to save lives in the Western Cape. Thank you!", Winde said in a Facebook post.

DA to lay complaint

At the same time, the Democratic Alliance (DA) plans to report Mboweni to Parliament's Ethics Committee following his comments.

The DA's parliamentary chief whip Natasha Mazzone says Mboweni's "petty utterances" are an insult to the Tygerberg health professionals who have sacrificed all to save lives during a global pandemic.

Mazzone says Mboweni needs to apologise to Health MEC Mbombo, Premier Winde, and staff at the Tygerberg Hospital.

🚨| The DA will now lay charges against Tito Mboweni for his lie, claiming that Tygerberg Hospital is segregational.

His petty utterances are an insult to the Tygerberg health professionals who have sacrificed all to save lives during a global pandemic. - @Natasha9Mazzone pic.twitter.com/gQpF1e4yd6

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) October 28, 2020

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