Share

Sama calls for an end to Medunsa strike

Johannesburg - The SA Medical Association (Sama) on Thursday called for an end to the ongoing strike at Medunsa in Limpopo.

"Sama calls upon all stakeholders involved in the Medunsa impasse to work together towards an immediate long-lasting solution to the current strike," Sama president Phophi Ramathuba said in a statement.

"We call upon government to guide, management to manage, and the student community to commit towards a just and visionary course for their own future and the future of this rainbow nation."

The university was closed on Wednesday with management ordering students to vacate the premises. Students had been on strike for about two weeks demanding the removal of certain lecturers alleged to be failing students.

The students were also believed to be unhappy about the renaming of the campus to Sefako Makgatho.

Management said the decision to close the campus was informed by the stubborn behaviour of both the Students Representative Council (SRC) and the student community.

The university management would take full responsibility for SRC affairs.

Ramathuba said the country prided itself at being a miracle nation, where negotiations remained the best and only way to resolve conflicts.

She called on all stakeholders to put aside their differences and desist from milking the situation to settle personal scores and grudges.

"All involved have to understand that what was at stake here is beyond their individual and group interest, this is a matter of national importance. The shortage of health professionals is a national problem that adversely affects delivery of health services," she said.

The current situation was not a winner takes all contest but conceded that the university itself should be the ultimate winner with both management and students continuing their respectable duties.

"The management should provide visionary leadership, academics should research and teach, and students should study and contribute towards building a winning nation," said Ramathuba.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 438 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 624 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE