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The South African Medical Association Trade Union denounces the merciless and senseless murder of Dr Basil Khoza in Phalaborwa as a barbaric and heartless act of thuggery. These cold blooded murderers have robbed us of a devoted servant of the poor, a selfless gentle soul, visionary leader and a role model in the medical profession. Hundreds of poor patients have now been left destitute.

As the trade union for doctors in South Africa, we call for respect and value for human life. As a nation, we should work hard to root out this violence in our society and we all have a responsibility to contribute to moral regeneration.
We call on our law enforcement agencies to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime and make sure that they face the justice system.

The murder of Dr Basil Khoza has left a void in our hearts because and is also deeply concerning because, we are observing a growing trend where medical doctors are attacked, robbed and some murdered even at their work places. This has to stop and we expect on all affected departments, like the departments of police and health to put measures in place in place that will ensure safety for all health practitioners, who provide the nation with such valuable service and critical skills.

We call on all medical doctors in Limpopo to come together and send off Dr Basil Khoza in a dignified manner. Like all other professions it is high time that the medical profession starts demanding that it be treated with dignity and respect. We urge the doctors to wear their doctor’s coats in the memorial service and the funeral to highlight and protest the lack of safety in their places of work.

Issued by COSATU