Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba faces inquiry over controversial comments to patient

The comments sparked a backlash from several advocacy groups, who lodged complaints against Ramathuba with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Among the complainants are prominent organisations such as Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia, Lawyers for Human Rights, Neighbours NPO, Treatment Action Campaign, Section 27, Socio-Economic Rights Institute, Health Justice Initiative, Progressive Health Forum and the Helen Suzman Foundation. These groups called for the HPCSA to revoke Ramathuba’s registration as a medical professional and to investigate the health professionals in the video who did not intervene to protect the patient.

As the HPCSA began its misconduct inquiry this week, #HandsOffPhophi went viral on social media, with many people such as Limpopo health department clinical manager Mike Mikia Ramothwala speaking out in her defence.

“As managers who started the Rural Health Matters project, we are here at the HPCSA hearing to support our former MEC Ramathuba. She was speaking for ordinary South Africans, that we can’t operate on Zimbabweans while thousands of South Africans are waiting for the same operations,” said Ramothwala on X.

In a picture included on the tweet, Ramothwala is seen with two other doctors holding placards reading “Hands off Dr Phophi”, “she was representing poor people” and “rural health matters”.