The mother of Nthabeleng Precious Ramashala, the woman who was arrested for posing as a medical doctor at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital, does not want to live with her daughter if she is granted bail.
This information was revealed on Tuesday when Ramashala, 37, made a brief third court appearance at the Tembisa magistrate’s court.
Ramashala is facing charges of contravention of the Health Act (impersonating a medical doctor). She is also charged with being in possession of presumed stolen property.
The presumed stolen property is the stethoscope that was dangling around her neck when she was arrested. The arrest took place at Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital last month, on June 18.
Mother wants nothing to do with her
During the court proceedings, state prosecutor Maxwell Randima told magistrate Mamokete Sihlangu that Ramashala gave police her mother’s residential address. It’s the address of a flat in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. She provided it as the place where she would be able to stay if she was granted bail.
Randima said police went to the home of Ramashala’s mother and spoke to her.
“The mother told police that the accused [Ramashala] is not welcome at her house. She will not accept her if she is granted bail,” said Randima.
Ramashala’s Legal Aid SA lawyer told Sihlangu that Ramashala wishes to provide an alternative address. The residential address belongs to her aunt.
The lawyer said Ramashala would stay with her aunt if granted bail.
Sihlangu then postponed the matter to next week, Tuesday, July 16. This was for police to verify the residential address of Ramashala’s aunt. To also find out if the aunt would live with her if she were granted bail.
Accused in custody as police verify her second address
No family members or friends of Ramashala were present in court when she appeared.
Ramashala remains in police custody. Her bail application has not yet begun.
Meanwhile, Ramashala mentioned her residential address as unit 702 at a Hillbrow block of flats. This according to the charge sheet submitted to court by police.
However, security guards and tenants there told Sunday World they have never heard of her and that she doesn’t live there.
Initially gave fake address
Also, while she gave her address as a seventh-floor unit, security guards confirmed the building only goes up to six floors. This meant Ramashala may have misled the police about her residential address.
The Gauteng department of health said Ramashala was nabbed in a hospital ward. The arrest happened while she was doing rounds with a stethoscope dangling around her neck.
Nurses who spotted her and saw nothing doctoral about her demeanour raised the alarm.
“Police were called to the scene, and the preliminary investigation revealed that she was a bogus doctor. The suspect was arrested and charged with impersonating a medical practitioner,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo.
Suspect was patient in same ward she was arrested in
Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba confirmed a preliminary report from the department. He said it revealed that Ramashala was admitted as a patient from May 23 to 28 at the very ward where she was arrested.
Questions also remain about how Ramashala evaded security and gained access to the hospital. Also what she was planning to do in the ward.
