Celebrity publicist Hlengiwe Mbambo has attracted the help of the EFF as she seeks justice for the botched surgery conducted by an allegedly unqualified medic at a private hospital.
Mbambo was informed that the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) board is scheduled to conduct a hearing on her gynaecologist on Tuesday to determine his guilt.
However, she has been denied access to the proceedings, a move that has distressed the mother of two.
In November, Mbambo, who is also the wife of top actor Thabo Malema, told Sunday World that she is lucky to be alive after a “fake” doctor conducted a risky operation on her at a Johannesburg private hospital.
She said she was still suffering severe pain in her back, torso and left side of her stomach after the December 2022 surgery.
She even opened a case of attempted murder and impersonating a medical practitioner against the doctor at the Douglasdale police station.
The EFF Women’s League has since entered the fray and has confirmed a protest outside the HPCSA premises to demand fair results.
The picket at the council’s offices in Arcadia, Pretoria, will start at 9am on Tuesday. The results into the hearing will be revealed on the same day.
The criminal case Mbambo opened at Douglasdale is also pending as the doctor in the matter has gone awol.
A statement by Mbambo’s publicist reads: “Miss Mbambo experienced negligence under the supervision of a doctor, and upon further investigation, it was discovered that the Assistant Doctor present during her surgery was not registered with the HPCSA…
“The peaceful protest aims to draw attention to the broader issue. We anticipate the participation of women with ongoing cases within the HPCSA, as well as those who have faced situations similar to Miss Mbambo’s.”
Botched hysterectomy
Mbambo’s medical records show that she was booked for an abdominal hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus through an opening in the belly, on December 22.
Mbambo was under the impression that her surgery went well until a few days later, when she experienced abdominal pain.
She was rushed back to the hospital, and a CT scan was conducted in February, which indicated that she sustained an injury during the operation in December.
After contacting her doctor at the hospital, Mbambo realised that the negligence occurred during her surgery, which was conducted by her main gynaecologist from the well-known private hospital and his assistant, who is not a registered health practitioner.
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