South African pensioner (77) claims assault by xenophobes for refusing to show ID outside hospital
Keely Goodall
30 July 2025 | 6:44The March and March Movement has reportedly been blocking people from entering Addington Hospital in Durban unless they can prove they were born in South Africa.
Picture: Pixabay.com
CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit speaks with Crispin Hemson (77), a pensioner from Durban and former Director of the International Centre of Nonviolence at the Durban University of Technology.
Listen below:
Hemson was attempting to visit Addington Hospital when he was stopped at the gates by the March and March Movement.
The group demanded he show his ID to prove he was South African.
This comes after a ramped-up campaign targeting foreign nationals at public hospitals and clinics in South Africa in the past few weeks.
When he refused, he says they got very aggressive with him.
“After a lot of angry interaction, I did manage to get in.”
- Crispin Hemson, Durban pensioner
He says that when he finally got in, the security guard told him that foreigners are not allowed in that hospital, even though this is unconstitutional.
Hemson went to the police to report this, but they were no help.
When he went back to the hospital at a later date, the group allegedly assaulted him.
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“They were very aggressive. Swore at me, pushed me, shoved me, knocked me around. My glasses went flying to the ground.”
- Crispin Hemson, Durban pensioner
He ended up taking some of the patients who were denied entrance to other hospitals.
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