Nurse’s murder prompts call for security crackdown

A 36-year-old nurse was dragged and then shot by gunmen who pretended to be visiting a patient at Zithulele Hospital on Christmas Day.

A 36-year-old nurse was dragged and then shot by gunmen who pretended to be visiting a patient at Zithulele Hospital on Christmas Day.

Published Jan 4, 2023

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Cape Town - The brutal murder of an on-duty nurse in the Eastern Cape has prompted the Public Servants Association (PSA) to once again call for stricter security measures to ensure the safety of health workers.

Similarly, the Western Cape Health Department has called on communities to create safer spaces for all.

The 36-year-old nurse was dragged and then shot by gunmen who pretended to be visiting a patient at Zithulele Hospital in Mqanduli on Christmas Day.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana was reported to have said that two unknown suspects allegedly arrived at the hospital ward, pretending to be visiting a patient.

The motive for the killing was still under investigation. Kinana said on Tuesday no one has been arrested and investigation continues.

The PSA, representing thousands of health professionals across the country, said they learnt with sadness about the “senseless and barbaric killing”.

“It is not the first time that a nurse lost their life while on duty, which has proven that access control for most hospitals is very easy, to say the least.

“It remains questionable how visitors enter hospitals armed without being detected, as hospitals are supposed to be gun-free areas.

“The fact that strangers can enter the hospital with such ease and drag the employee before shooting her like an animal demonstrates porous security.

It must be said that the lives of both workers and patients are not safe, and the department needs to quickly close the security gaps,” the PSA said in a statement.

According to the PSA, they previously cautioned the Health Department to consider security improvements at health institutions.

“The department dismally failed to up their security at most of the hospitals.

“It defies logic why security officers at most hospitals do not even have basic working tools like metal detectors for them to detect visitors that might be armed. The CCTVs are either not installed at most hospitals or where installed, (are) dysfunctional or not monitored. The screening of visitors is non-existent at most hospitals and the department must account for the killed nurse as they failed to provide a safe working place for their employees.“

The Department of Health expressed its condolences to the family and colleagues of the front line worker.

Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said: “The health workers go to work tirelessly to serve the communities and save lives, thus it’s unacceptable that they are being targeted by criminals.

“We call on communities to join hands with our security personnel, crime watch organisations and law enforcement agencies to make our health facilities safer places for health workers to perform their duties and patients to receive much-needed health care,” Mohale said.

Western Cape Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “In the Western Cape we continue to re-evaluate safety and security measures on a regular basis to ensure our staff and clients are able to work and access health services in a safe space.

However, criminality remains a societal issue and we need communities to support our efforts in ensuring a safe space for all.”

Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111 or use the MySaps app.

Cape Times