The xenophobic movement has been preventing migrants from entering health facilities. But the unconscious man in the photo, denied after-hours emergency care at a clinic, survived and is likely South African.

Mary Alexander • 15 August 2025

A Zimbabwean man died after he was “dragged out of a public hospital by South African Dudula and March March members” claims a caption of a photo circulating on social media since 2 August 2025.

They said he “should go back to Zimbabwe or to a private hospital”, it adds. “[H]ere in the photo of his young daughter standing before his lifeless body.”

In the photo, a man lies on a pavement outside a closed gate at night. A woman stands beside him. Behind the gate we see a long, low building with light coming through its windows.

Zimbabwe, one of South Africa’s northern neighbours, is the top source of migration into South Africa. Census 2022 estimates that more than a million Zimbabweans live in the country, but make up just 1.6% of the total population of 62 million.

Since 2022, the anti-migrant social movement Operation Dudula (isiZulu for “force out” or “knock down”) has tried to block migrants from entering public hospitals and clinics. The campaign has recently ramped up with support from the new March and March movement. It has had dire consequences, with pregnant women forced to give birth alone and babies being denied vaccines.

Healthcare is a human right in South Africa, protected by the constitution and available to all.

South African man survives TB emergency

The claim about the photo has been posted across X (here and here) and Facebook (here, here, here and here). It’s attracted hateful comments on Zimbabweans:

• Good. If they don’t go back main will end up like him. Party is over. Hamba khaya zimbos [Go home Zimbabweans].
• South Africans are happy with the news…. can that happen everyday till they all go back to Zimbabwe.
• [S]outh Africa owes no zimbo free Healthcare
• [I]f he was in his sheethole country he would be still alive i heard you’ve got hospitals
• He should have died in Rhodesia [colonial Zimbabwe].

But other social media users have dismissed the claim as false:

• This is not true and you are talking nonsense, stop this bullshit that you are trying to do.
• This pic is old stupid … You don’t even where does this happen setlaela ke wena [you are a fool].
• Fake. Try again.
• STOP LYING. This photo has been making rounds since years ago about clinic operation hours.
• You’re an opportunistic liar, misusing information to earn your supper …

The photo used in the claim is at left and a Google Street View of the MUCPP Community Health Centre in Mangaung, its gate open, at right. It is the same building, confirming the report that the man was turned away because the clinic only admits maternal emergencies after hours.

Two comments include the link to an article headlined “No more 24-hour health services for some Mangaung residents”, published by Health-e News on 4 February.

Mangaung, which includes the city of Bloemfontein, is a municipality in the Free State province.

The article includes a similar photo of the same man lying on the same pavement next to the same woman.

It says that on the night of 2 January the daughter of the man in the photo brought him to the MUCPP Community Health Centre in Mangaung. He has TB and had suffered some kind of seizure.

The pair were turned away because the clinic has cut back on general emergency care, now only taking maternal emergencies after hours. A passing taxi driver lifted them home. The man was then taken by ambulance to hospital, where after a three-week stay he recovered.

At the time, the incident was reported on a local blog as well as on X and Facebook. The man, whose surname is given as Monnapula, is likely a South African.

A Google Street View of the MUCPP Community Health Centre confirms that it is the same building in the photo.

The claim is false.