Probe into death of man in police cells

THE provincial health department has rejected claims that it did not attend to a patient who died while he was in police holding cells in Thembalethu in George after he was allegedly assaulted by residents who accused him of raping a pensioner.

This despite the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) saying its preliminary investigation showed the ambulance personnel informed the arresting officer that “the deceased did not need any immediate treatment and could remain in custody”.

Bongani Qubu, 28, allegedly kicked down the door of a 69-year-old woman’s home in Thembalethu on Monday night, threatened her with a knife and raped her.

Qubu fell asleep on the bed after the alleged rape, and the woman called for help from the community, who assaulted him, according to Thembalethu police station’s Dumile Gwavu.

The suspect was rescued by the police and received medical treatment in an ambulance, said Gwavu.

Qubu died three hours after he was booked into the police station’s holding cells.

Department of health spokesperson Robert Daniels said: “The patient was assessed and treated by our ambulance practitioners, and the police decided to transport him to hospital themselves, at which point EMS was released from the scene by the SAPS.”

Daniels said the Eden Communication Centre received an emergency incident call on Monday at 3.34am.

“The police indicated that they required emergency medical assistance for a patient purportedly assaulted by community members”, he said.

“An ambulance was dispatched at about 3.35am and arrived at the scene at 3.44am. EMS was escorted to the back of the police station where the patient was found in a police van,” said Daniels.

He said the police told the paramedics they would transport the patient to hospital.

An Ipid spokesperson said they had launched a probe “as to why the deceased was not taken to hospital for medical attention, as the post-mortem confirms that he had extensive injuries”.