No festive cheer for missing man’s kin
Family barred from searching PE hospital for 55-year-old member
THE family of a man who went missing at Port Elizabeth’s Provincial Hospital were barred over the Christmas weekend from looking at CCTV footage and searching the hospital for him. “It has been a black Christmas for us,” Wandile Nyanya’s sister, Lisa Stanley, said yesterday.
“We couldn’t enjoy anything. It has been a mad time for us looking for Wandile.”
Nyanya, 55, who lives in Port Alfred and works as a general worker, went missing on December 11.
On that day, Stanley accompanied him to the patient transport vehicle provided by the department of health so he could attend an ear, nose and throat specialist appointment that had been made for him.
She said she asked another patient to keep an eye on her brother as he was slightly mentally disabled, forgetful and did not speak.
He did not return home that evening and he has not been seen since.
A missing person’s case has been opened with the police.
After weeks of no progress and no information about her brother, Stanley and other family members travelled to Provincial Hospital from Port Alfred on Saturday.
“We wanted to put up posters with his picture,” she said.
“I asked the security guard about what happened. He knew nothing. He then called the matron.”
Stanley said the family had wanted to search the hospital but had been barred from doing so. They also wanted to view CCTV footage but were not able to.
“We spoke to one of the IT guys who said he was only told about the situation on Friday and asked to review the footage.
“But we were also told that the cameras were broken and there was no footage,” she said.
Stanley said they had received no information on her brother’s whereabouts. “He has just disappeared.” Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said Nyanya had last seen a doctor on December 8.
“He was due to return to the ear, nose and throat clinic on December 11 but never turned up.
“We checked the CCTV footage but he can’t be seen or traced,” Kupelo said.
He confirmed that permission had not been granted for the family to search the hospital or view the CCTV footage.
“We allowed them to put up posters,” he said.
According to the police report filed by his family, Nyanya was wearing a new grey hoodie, blue Levi jeans, brown Green Cross shoes and a black fleece beanie, and was carrying a blue lunch box with him as well as his patient file when he went missing. He has three scars on his face. Anybody who knows his whereabouts has been asked to phone the Nemato Police Station on (046) 624-1238.
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