Stabbed medic won’t stop helping others

Lungelo Ntombela, 25, of ER24

Lungelo Ntombela, 25, of ER24

Published Sep 28, 2016

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Durban - A paramedic from Pietermaritzburg who was assaulted and stabbed on Saturday night, said on Tuesday that while the attack had left him injured and traumatised, he was still determined to help others and move forward from his harrowing ordeal.

Lungelo Ntombela, 25, of ER24, spoke to the Daily News at the Pietermaritzburg District Court on Tuesday where four men were charged with the bizarre attack.

Ntombela, a paramedic for four years, said that while he was still in pain, he was thankful for the support from his colleagues, who were assisting him in dealing with the incident.

“This is the first time in my career that I have experienced an incident of this nature. It was very hectic, and I am just grateful that it wasn’t worse.

“I will not let this deter me from continuing with my job and I will never stop helping those in need. I have accepted what has happened and am moving on,” Ntombela said, surrounded by a large contingent of his ER24 colleagues who turned up in support and packed the small court gallery.

Ntombela was stabbed in the face and right hand. He received two stitches to his face and four to his hand. He said he would return to work once he had the stitches removed on Friday.

The four men who allegedly attacked Ntombela and three colleagues at the Ohrtmann Road/Manning Avenue intersection on Saturday night, appeared briefly in court on Tuesday.

Ivan Francis, 54, Omega Nzimande, 25, Shayden Francis, 19, and Rakesh Sadhew, 41, all of Northdale in Pieter-maritzburg, were remanded until October 5 for a formal bail application.

They are charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The charge sheet reflects that the men attacked Ntombela with a knife, a baseball bat and clenched fists.

The State indicated it was opposed to bail until the safety of the victim and the addresses of the accused could be verified.

The State also intended securing the criminal profiles of the accused to ascertain whether they had any previous convictions or pending cases.

The suspects’ attorney, Reshen Pillay, addressed magistrate Paul von Dongen on Tuesday, placing on record that all four of his clients required medical treatment as they too had been assaulted when the incident occurred.

A fifth man, Ronaldo Francis, the alleged driver of the car, has been charged with drunken driving. He has been charged separately and is currently out on bail.

The State alleges that while transporting patients from a separate incident to hospital on Saturday night, the ER24 paramedics came across another collision between two vehicles in Manning Avenue.

They immediately pulled over to assist the victims and were caught by surprise when the four suspects, from one of the vehicles involved in the collision, allegedly began verbally abusing them.

When paramedics informed the men the police were en route to the scene, the men allegedly began assaulting the paramedics, who were forced to defend themselves.

ER24 spokeswoman, Chitra Bodasing-Harduth, said a passing motorist stepped in and disarmed the knife-wielding man before police arrived.

She confirmed there had been 15 attacks on South African ER24 medics in two years.

“Attacks on our staff as well as EMS personnel in general are of great concern,” she said.

Daily News

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