Hire unemployed South African doctors of all races, not Cubans – Herman Mashaba

"People are dying," says Mashaba. "They don’t care who gives them service, whether you’re black or white. Employ our people!"

South Africa is firmly in the grips of a second wave of Covid-19.

Its traumatised frontline medical staff are exhausted and falling ill themselves.

Yet, hundreds of qualified, experienced South African medical professionals, ready to serve, are sitting idly at home, says ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba.

The party has launched a campaign it hopes will move the government to permanently hire unemployed or temporarily employed South African medical professionals.

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Do you know any unemployed or temporarily employed medical workers?

Click here to complete a form to help ActionSA put pressure on the government to employ South Africans to reinforce the frontline.

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Kieno Kammies interviewed Mashaba about ActionSA’s #HireOurMedicalHeroes campaign.

About 40 000 posts remain frozen or unfilled because of Employment Equity (affirmative action) policies, claims ActionSA.

It says the R400 million spent on deploying 200 Cuban doctors could have employed 500 South African doctors instead.

They brought in Cuban doctors while 500 highly trained [South African] doctors, the government is not employing them… I get very angry…

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

We encourage doctors to register on our website. The government is looking for your services…

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

A year ago, they froze 40 000 medical posts… The government is hiring doctors and nurses on a contractual basis… but they have money to bring the Cubans… but employing our people on a temporary basis…

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

Particularly poor people… they are dying! … They don’t care who gives them service, whether you’re black or white… Employ our people! … take politics out of it, and save the lives of our people…

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

For an NHI… you need an economy that generates enough revenue… You have to have a professionally run public service, not cadre deployment…

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

To make matters worse, the President put in the Deputy President [to oversee South Africa’s mass vaccination against Covid-19] … They can’t stop shocking us!

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

I don’t know when these communist, socialist, and corrupt political leaders are going to learn that money doesn’t just fall from trees… If you want more revenue, create employment… get the world to invest in South Africa… have rule of law. It’s some kind of madness! … You’re going to destroy the country!

Herman Mashaba, President - ActionSA

Listen to Mashaba in the audio below.

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