Media Release by Dr Nomafrench Mbombo | Western Cape Government

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Media Release by Dr Nomafrench Mbombo

28 October 2020

Minister Mboweni insults healthcare workers with blatant lie meant to distract the public from the shocking R10,5 billion bailout to SAA

I am completely dismayed at the remarks made by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni about Tygerberg hospital in his budget speech today in which he claims that wards are racially segregated. This is an outright lie and Minister Mboweni should be made to apologize for misleading the house.
 

This ‘Fake News’ has one objective in mind: to detract from the ugly truth that the National Government is going to pour another R10,5 billion into the bailout of SAA. This multi-billion Rand flight of fancy will undermine the jobs, safety and wellbeing of millions of South Africans, and the Western Cape Government will have to help pick up the tab.

 

Here are some simple truths about Tygerberg hospital, which the Minister of Finance should have rather mentioned:
 

Tygerberg was the nationally designated Covid-19 referral facility in the province during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its world class expertise in infectious disease specialists.

 

Tygerberg Hospital doctors were also the first in the country to introduce the use of high flow nasal oxygen to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients. This treatment has since been rolled out across the province and has been instrumental in saving lives.

 

Tygerberg hospital and the exceptional frontline staff who work there, serve the whole community, the province and the country.

 

To claim that these dedicated men and women who have worked long, difficult shifts over a period of months to save lives, would stand for racial segregation in their wards is deeply insulting.

Media Enquiries: 

Nomawethu Sbukwana

Spokesperson for Minister Mbombo

Tel: 083 893 5200

E-mail: nomawethu.sbukwana@westerncape.gov.za

www.westerncape.gov.za