Four suspects, aged between 17 and 21, have been arrested by the Mpumalanga anti-gang unit after staff at Carolina Hospital were attacked and robbed of personal belongings.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the attack happened in the hospital on Saturday morning, and hospital equipment was also vandalised.
“In the early hours of Saturday, June 17, 2023, Carolina Hospital was reportedly attacked by a group of suspects who stormed into the premises and attacked the staff members wherein some of them were assaulted, as well as robbed of their personal items, including cellphones.
“As if that was not enough, the group reportedly went on and vandalised hospital property, leaving behind a trail of destruction,” said Mohlala.
Police said the “outrageous behaviour” occurred after a man was brought into hospital seeking medical attention, but he later succumbed to gunshot wounds.
“After this sad news reached people who brought him for medical treatment, hell broke loose as they went on the rampage and caused a lot of havoc which sent shock waves among the workers who were on duty,” said Mohlala.
“That conduct was strongly condemned by the authorities as well as the general public. That unruly behaviour did not augur well with the management of the police in the province, hence a team of experts in the investigation field was then assembled under the leadership of the provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela,” he said.
Mohlala said during the arrest, police officers recovered a mobile phone allegedly stolen during the robbery incident.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Carolina Magistrate's Court on Monday, facing charges of malicious damage to property, as well as business robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.
Meanwhile, the provincial police commissioner in Mpumalanga, Manamela has sent “a stern warning” against people who target and attack healthcare workers.
“We cannot allow our health facilities as well as the workers thereof to be working in fear of lawless individuals who parade themselves as gangsters, thereby instilling fear among the communities.
“That will have to stop and it will never be allowed as long as we as the police are here. We are working very hard to ensure that each one of those that were involved in attacking our health facilities, especially in the incidents that were recently reported,” Manamela said.
Earlier this week, the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison condemned two incidents where an ambulance was hijacked, and in the other incident the hospital was vandalised, and healthcare workers robbed while on duty.
In the first incident, several shots were fired before criminals hijacked an ambulance at Pholansikazi community health centre on Sunday morning.
“According to reports, some unknown men pointed a firearm at security personnel stationed at the entrance of Pholansikazi community health centre on Sunday morning,” spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Moeti Mmusi said at the time.
“The men proceeded to fire three shots at the driver of the emergency medical services (EMS) before making it off with an ambulance,” Mmusi said.
The driver of the ambulance was slightly injured, and authorities said he was receiving medical attention.
“The security task team of the company contracted to the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison swiftly responded to the scene, and their efforts paid off, as the hijacked ambulance was recovered within two kilometres from the crime scene,” said Mmusi.
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