Progressive Forces of South Africa stand behind nurse after viral incident with Zimbabwean patient

by Nomonde Simelane

An incident that initially involved a Zimbabwean national and a South African nurse has caused a nationwide debate as citizens are split in differentiating between the villain and protagonist of the story. The Progressive Forces of South Africa (PFSA) are among many who have rallied behind the local nurse, defending her against those who have labelled her as xenophobic.

This is how the story goes: There is a video of the incident between the nurse and the patient that was allegedly recorded at a medical facility in Midrand and depicts a seemingly frustrated patient who is pleading with the staff at the facility to be assisted with receiving medical care. The nurse blatantly refuses to offer the patient the required assistance, citing that the patient initially refused her help. This clip was then posted on a Zimbabwean Crime Watch page on X(formerly Twitter), painting the nurse in a negative light and essentially labelling her as xenophobic.

The video made its way onto the South African side of X, thus causing mayhem on social media as users rushed to express strong feelings towards the incident. On one side, some believe that the nurse was indeed wrong, and according to Mzansi’s laws, had an obligation to ensure that the patient receives quality medical care, despite her nationality. The other side however has labelled the nurse as a hero and patriot, emphasising the need for South Africa to put its people first.

The matter continued to escalate and has had the PFSA standing up to rally behind the unidentified nurse. The infamous organisation took to the streets of the Midrand Halfway clinic to display support and advocate for the nurse, and protect her from some of the negative things she has been subjected to since the video was made public, such as online bullying.

According to PFSA, this incident is a mere symptom of an even bigger issue that is currently plaguing South Africa. They believe that the increase in illegal immigration has led to services and establishments designated for South Africans being overburdened due to the influx of foreign nationals utilising these as well, therefore resulting in the inability of civil workers to carry out their responsibilities the best way possible.

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