JAUNDICED EYE
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi seems to be a miserable bugger. Judging from his public persona, he is opinionated to the brink of arrogance, insufferably meddlesome and prescriptive, and entirely lacking in humour.
On the other hand, one supposedly can judge a man by the quality of his enemies. By that measure, Motsoaledi this week inadvertently got a ringing endorsement.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions has called for Motsoaledi’s head. Because of the collapse of healthcare, he should be fired at once, said the African National Congress’ alliance partner.
Motsoaledi was guilty of “denialism and scapegoating”, said Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla. “He is the only minister who has been allowed to stay in one position for close to a decade‚ without being reshuffled. He had ample time to set up a vision and implement it over the last nine years but he has spectacularly failed.”
There’s no doubt that the healthcare system is in apparently terminal decline. No less of an authority than Health Ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba described it as “collapsing”, during an interview at the weekend, on the eve of his Office of Health Standards Compliance report being tabled in Parliament.