Hospital security guards at centre of assault probe
wandle.
He said while outside the hospital premises, two security guards asked him where he was going or coming from. Dunjwa said he responded. “They seemed fine until we were inside hospital premises where they started assaulting me and the other two joined in. They kicked me [and] used their pepper spray and batons,” he alleged.
Police spokeswoman Captain Namhla Mdleleni confirmed they were investigating a case of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm.
Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo dismissed the allegations.
“The patient presented with symptoms of a confidential condition, which required prescriptions of a Serenace injection to calm him down as he was restless and violent.”
Kupelo said the patient developed side-effects and was given Biperiden medicine to manage the side-effects.
“The side-effects included stiffness of the neck. We believe that the family was prompted by these signs to believe that the patient may have been assaulted as alleged.”
Dunjwa was admitted at the hospital after suffering a mental illness. Speaking to the Dispatch at their Jara village home, Nolwandle said her son was sent to hospital to get treatment but “he came home bruised, unable to eat and constantly coughing blood”.
“I expected my son to come back home fine and feeling better.”
Dunjwa told Dispatch: “I wanted to call my mother. I can remember what happened and I even pointed out the four security guards who assaulted me. I will sue them for this.”
A doctor’s note seen by the Dispatch reveals that he suffered from neck sprain, chest pain, bruises in his back and a 6cm laceration. The family reported this to the police, who opened a case.
Mdleleni said: “We can confirm that an assault GBH case was opened at the Cofimvaba police station and the investigations continue.”
Phiko Security operations manager, who would only give his name as Diko, said they were not aware of the incident. “The hospital management would have called us and explain this, that never happened,” said Diko.
Kupelo said: “We dismiss the allegations levelled against the hospital and staff.”
Dunjwa’s sister Kholiswa said her brother was not permanently mentally challenged and recalled everything that happened to him.