Pulling an injured child from an ambulance by striking healthcare workers in KwaDukuza is not legitimate protest action, but criminal barbarism, writes News24's editors.
South Africa, like many other countries around the world, has a long history of protest action against oppressive regimes and power structures.
During the apartheid years, protest action was used effectively by the ANC, trade unions and other groups opposing racial segregation to highlight the importance of workers in keeping the economy and country going. Think of the seminal Women's March to the Union Buildings in 1956 against the introduction of pass laws.
After democracy was attained in 1994, trade unions continued to represent workers, particularly in talks about wage increases or worker treatment. Every South African worker has labour rights and should be free to join a trade union if they wish.
Students are also allowed to protest against any issue, if they obtain permission from the necessary authorities.
What is not acceptable, however, is endangering the lives and futures of anyone as a result of your strike action.
On Wednesday, protesting healthcare workers belonging to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) prevented an ambulance transporting a critically injured child on life support from entering the General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital in KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal.
When the ambulance finally entered the premises to rush the sick child to ICU, the striking workers attempted to pull the child from the ambulance. In the process, a paramedic was assaulted.
Endangering lives
The child was eventually rescued from the striking workers and admitted to hospital, but the Nehawu protestors refused to let the ambulance go assist other patients. It took another hour for the ambulance to leave the hospital.
This is just one example of how striking healthcare workers are endangering the lives of the people they are supposed to care for. There is no other way to describe the actions of these strikers than barbaric.
They should be identified, arrested and charged with attempted murder, as the health department is reportedly suggesting.
No cause or complaint, however valid or noble, can justify this behaviour that was witnessed all over the country. Hospitals are essential services and protesting workers, who were already prevented by many courts from protesting, don't have the right to prevent any patient from receiving medical treatment.
Those doing so should be charged and dismissed. They don't deserve the title of healthcare worker.
The same principle applies to protesting students at universities and at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges who prevent others from receiving education. Your right to protest does not give you the right to infringe on the right of others to learn.
The important matters of student fees and disbarring those who cannot pay from further learning are getting lost in the violence and destruction on our campuses.
South Africa's spirit of ubuntu is under threat if we allow this kind of lawlessness to continue in the name of legitimate protest.