Burnt unrest victim hospitalised for over a year
MBABANE – A woman has been admitted to hospital for over a year after sustaining serious injuries during the June 29, 2021 unrest.
Makhosa]ana Shabangu, of Nt Mongela community under +osea Inkhundla in the Shiselweni 5e gion, has been admitted to a South $frican hospital since -uly , last year. ,n an interYiew, Shabangu said she was inMured after she fell into a fire at Mathendele town ship in Nhlangano. She said the incident took place on -une ,
, at around pm, while she was walking home from work in one of the textile firms. Shabangu said the fire she fell into had been lit in the middle of the road and was fuelled with tyres. She said it took her more than two minutes to wade her way out of the fire, while sitting on the burning tyres.
Assistance
She said she was assisted by good Samaritans, who took her to the Nhlangano +ealth &entre, where she got minimal assistance. She recalled that medical staff at the health centre had told her that due to the extent of her inMuries, she was supposed to be referred to the Mbabane *oYernment +os pital. +oweYer, the process was delayed by the unrest that had intensified then.
Shabangu said she was then bandaged and giYen prescriptions to procure medication from the pharmacy. She said the medication had cost her oYer ( .
She then went home, hoping to recuperate in the whole month of -une. $fter seeing that her wounds were not getting any better, she went to the Piet 5etief +ospital in South $frica, where she was admitted. She narrated that when arriYing at Piet 5etief +ospital, she was told that there was need for her to undergo skin grafting, but there was shortage of essential eTuipment. She said the doctors tried their sister hospitals in (r melo and :itbank, but nothing positiYe came up. Since then, Shabangu said, she had to stay at
Piet 5etief +ospital to this day.
She said her inMury had resulted in loss of income as she could not work eYer since the incident.
Savings
She lamented that she had ex hausted all her saYings, as besides working in the textile firms, she hustled as a hawker.
Shabangu said her side hustle as a hawker had turned to be the main source of income for her, giYen that the salary she earned at the textile firm was only enough to pay rent. She said as a result of the inMuries, her child had to drop out of school in )orm ,,, as she could no longer afford paying school fees. She stated that other children who were under her guid ance were still continuing with school because they were able to be registered under the 2rphaned 9ulnerable &hildren (29&) )und.
She narrated that eYer since she was admitted to hospital, her chil dren were left in the care of their grandmother, who is her late s.
She said she was in a dire sit uation and those willing to help her can contact her on
.