Four suspects aged between 17 and 21 are due in the Carolina magistrate’s court on Monday to answer to charges of malicious damage to property, business robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.
According to reports, it is alleged that the suspects attacked staff at Carolina Hospital in Mpumalanga. They also robbed them of personal belongings.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala said the attack took place in the early hours of June 17.
A group of suspects is said to have stormed into the premises and without any provocation started attacking and robbing staff of personal items including cellphones.
“As if that was not enough, the group reportedly went on and vandalised hospital property, leaving behind a trail of destruction,” said Mohlala.
According to information, added Mohlala, the outrageous behaviour occurred after a man was brought to the hospital but later succumbed to gunshot wounds.
“After this sad news reached the people who brought him for medical treatment, hell broke loose as they went on a rampage and caused havoc which shocked on-duty workers.”
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela vowed that the police will leave no stone unturned when investigating the attack and damage to property.
She sent a stern warning to people who target on-duty healthcare workers.
“We cannot allow our health facilities as well as the workers thereof to be working in fear of lawless individuals who parade themselves as gangsters thereby instilling fear amongst the communities,” Manamela said.
“That will have to stop and it will never be allowed as long as we as the police are here.”
She said the police are working hard to ensure that the people behind the attack are brought to justice, especially those involved in recent incidents involving attacks on healthcare workers.
“We will not rest until we bring each one of them to justice, as we did with these four suspects,” she warned.
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