A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years of direct imprisonment after he was found guilty of attacking Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew in July 2023.
Matome Tumi Sepesu and his three accomplices robbed the crew in the Nellmapius area, east of Pretoria, after hijacking, kidnapping, assaulting, and robbing them of their personal cell phones and other working tools while they were responding to a distress call.
The sentence was handed down by the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
Three accomplices still on the run
Out of the four suspects involved in the incident, Sepesu is the only one who was successfully apprehended. The other three suspects are still on the run and the police investigation is still underway.
Gauteng MEC for health and wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has welcomed the conviction.
“This conviction sends a strong message to criminals who are targeting healthcare workers when they are discharging their duties and trying to save the lives of communities.
“Our teams have been subjected to senseless attacks in some of the communities. This … has made it rather difficult for them when they have to respond to emergencies,” she said.
Two more attacks on EMS in Gauteng this week
Meanwhile, this week alone, the Gauteng EMS suffered two other attacks.
Health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said one incident happened in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday evening. Two suspects robbed paramedics and fled with a PTT radio used for dispatching calls.
“The incident happened while the crew was responding to a medical call and treating a patient at the back of the ambulance,” said Modiba.
The second incident happened at Eersterust in Mamelodi, on Thursday morning. The crew was also busy treating a patient.
“The suspect stole a cell phone of one of the paramedics. Fortunately, the suspect was apprehended by the police through the assistance of the community and CPF. The phone was also recovered.
Attacks hinder EMS from providing emergency assistance to communities
“The suspect appeared at the Hatfield branch court in Pretoria on Friday and was released on bail. The next appearance was set for May 2, 2024 at the same court.
“The department continues to urge communities to …assist in the protection of healthcare workers. To also work with law enforcement agencies to stop continuing attacks on healthcare workers. Because they have a negative impact on the provision of healthcare services.”
