Durban - A long-haul minibus taxi trip from Joburg to Vryheid won’t be forgotten in a hurry by the 14 – and later 15 – passengers.
Somewhere between Volksrust and Newcastle, a heavily pregnant passenger went into labour and, despite the driver aiming for the nearest hospital, the little person didn’t want to wait.
And so, with nothing but a broken bottle to cut the umbilical cord, another passenger, Zonke Ntuli, 39, from Vryheid, helped the new mom deliver her son.
On Wednesday KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo commended Ntuli for helping the young woman.
“We are very proud of the courageous actions of the passenger who helped deliver the baby. Her actions were exemplary and what she did was the personification of Ubuntu,” he said.
The quick-thinking Ntuli said the heavily pregnant woman went into labour at Volksrust when her waters broke.
“Initially, we thought that she would be able to make it to Newcastle but when the taxi was going over the Amajuba Pass, the baby started coming out,” said Ntuli.
“The taxi stopped and everybody was panicking. Some were screaming and running away. I realised that the baby or the mother would die and so I decided to help.”
Ntuli had wanted to become a nurse but couldn’t fulfil her dream owing to lack of finances.
“I was also scared as the baby was coming out feet first, but I urged the lady to push,” she said. “A baby boy was born and I was very relieved when he started crying; that he was indeed alive.”
Ntuli said the next challenge was cutting the umbilical cord. She recalled looking around and finding a bottle, which she broke and used to cut the cord. It took about 20 minutes to finish the delivery.
The baby was then wrapped in clothes and they continued with their journey until an ambulance met them, halfway to Newcastle.
The mother and baby were taken to Newcastle Provincial Hospital.
“Nothing could have prepared me for what happened, and I was just as shocked as the rest of the passengers. But I’m pleased to have helped the mother deliver her baby. I wish both of them well, and I want to thank the rest of the passengers because I could not have done it alone.”
Ntuli said some of the passengers kept on asking her if she was not scared helping someone without protective gear, like gloves.
“I told them I am not thinking about that for now, as long as the baby is fine,” she said.
The name of the new mother is unknown
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The Mercury