Nominate SA doctors, not Cubans

WE, the South African Medical Association (Sama), are disappointed that the efforts of the thousands of doctors, who risk their lives on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, continue to go largely unrecognised by the government, while the Cabinet endorsed the nomination by the Norwegian government to nominate the Cuban Medical Brigade for the Nobel Peace Prize.

We, as Sama, acknowledge the Cuban Medical Brigade does amazing work throughout the world. We certainly do not dispute this fact. What is disappointing, is that our own doctors appear not to enjoy the same level of gratitude from our own government.

It is particularly jarring for doctors to hear the Cabinet approving the nomination for such a lofty award while health-care workers locally have to work without proper or sufficient personal protective equipment, or in medical facilities which lack even the most basic of resources.

We also taken aback by the nomination, given the fact the contingent of doctors came with a price tag.

The South African taxpayer is paying more than R400million to have them here, so we cannot understand why they should be nominated if they’re being paid to deliver a service. DR ANGELIQUE COETZEE | Chairperson of

Sama

CIVIL society organisations have called for transparency and accountability in the handling of the R128 million pledged by businesses to the Genderbased Violence and Femicide (GBVF) fund.

President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the GBVF fund last week, together with the International Women’s Forum of SA and social partners.

A range of companies participated in the launch and pledged a total of R128 170 000 in contributions to the private-sector-led, multisectoral fund that will support the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, a roadmap to ending GBVF.

Ramaphosa said the funding came at a time of great economic difficulty, which contributed to the hardship and vulnerability affecting women. “It is an important contribution to improving the lives of women and girls in our society,” he said. All GBVF survivors would be able to access sensitive and efficient criminal justice.

The Call To Action Collective, a grouping of about 70 civil society organisations and activists, stated they worked throughout the months following the #Totalshutdown in March 2018 to consult, mobilise, and build consensus towards the presidential summit on GBVF in November 2018.

The collective’s spokesperson, Mandisa Khanyile, said pervasive and chronic levels of GBVF had continued to be a defining feature of South African society, despite many years of advocacy, activism, civil society interventions and programmes and legislative reforms.

“While the establishment of the fund is a step in the right direction, we want to caution both the private and public sector against leaving civil society organisations out of discussions about the structure and function of the GBVF fund. We believe that civil society holds a wealth of information on the provision of services, responding to the need and creating a continued response to GBV,” Khanyile said.

“We seek clarity on … the criteria which will be used for funding distribution. We look forward to working with the GBVF fund to ensure that patriarchy is dismantled and GBV is eradicated in all spheres of society.

“Moving forward will require civil society to maintain oversight that will ensure accountability, transparency and co-ordination.”