EC medical student to get another go in Cuba

AN EASTERN Cape medical student who was expelled from an exchange programme between South Africa and Cuba has been given a second chance .

Lindani Magade was among 12 medical students expelled from the programme over strike action early this year. The students returned to South Africa in February after protesting to demand better meals and a 300% increase in their R1600 monthly stipend.

Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana said there would be no change to the stipend and they were expected to behave themselves when they returned. Gqobana said Magade was mistaken for a KwaZulu-Natal student who was at the forefront of the strike.

This came to their attention when Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi had one-on-one meetings with the students.

“After the students returned from Cuba we were instructed not to communicate with them because they embarrassed the country.

“However, the minister had a meeting with one of the students from Limpopo and after that he decided to have meetings individually with all of them to hear their stories,” he said.

Gqobana said Magade had tried to defend himself earlier but the decision was already made and the people handling the case did not give him a chance to explain.

The minister has negotiated with Cuban officials to allow some of the expelled students back.

Gqobana said Magade was among the students who would be going to finish their studies.

Last week one of two expelled KwaZulu-Natal medical students was also given a second chance.

Gqobana said by the end of June all South African medical students in Cuba would receive laptops.

Magade said he was glad he would be returning to Cuba to finish off his studies. “I was very excited . I had lost all hope,” he said.

Though he did not want to dwell much on the action that led to expulsion, Magade said he was thankful to the MEC and minister for giving him a second chance.

“It brings sadness to me when I think about happened in Cuba. I promise the department I will finish my studies and come back to serve my community.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for someone like me who grew up in a rural area.

“I never got a chance to study in schools in town, I matriculated at a village school,” said Magade. Gqobana said the department would engage with former Cuban medical students who were now practicing.

“We have a shortage of doctors because they do not want to work in rural areas yet we take them from there and send them to Cuba.

“We want the returns in particular for our people in rural areas,” he said. —