MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Another alleged rape at a Gauteng Hospital

Dear Johannesburg

The Gauteng Health Department needs to investigate another alleged rape of a psychiatric patient which took place at the Bheki Mlangeni Hospital on Saturday this past weekend.

This follows other recent alleged rapes at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, Tara Mental Hospital and the Stanza Bopape Clinic in Tshwane.

It appears that a male psychiatric patient at Bheki Mlangeni raped another male patient who was then taken to the Nthabiseng rape centre at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

There is a concern amongst staff that the hospital management will cover up this incident which follows the alleged murder by a psychiatric patient of another patient at the hospital in May this year.

This is the 11th violent incident at Bheki Mlangeni since the beginning of the year, yet the CEO Ruth Mabyana has been allowed to return to her post despite being initially put on precautionary suspension while investigation continues into the murder.

In my view, Mabyana is the worst hospital CEO in Gauteng and should have been removed long ago after scandals that include a string of violent assaults on patients and staff as well as a jobs-for-sale racket.

It is not forgivable that yet another assault has occurred on a patient at this hospital. Effective steps should have been taken to ensure that mental health patients are only admitted to a dedicated high security ward.

New management is needed urgently at the hospital to ensure that patients and staff are in a secure environment without threat of violence.

Regards

Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

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Constitution Hill: Precinct

The precinct is divided into several harrowing sections. The Old Fort was primarily reserved for white male prisoners, with the notable exception of Nelson Mandela, who was held in its hospital wing in 1962 because authorities deemed him too influential to be housed with the general black population. Nearby is Number Four, the “Native Gaol,” which is perhaps the most visceral part of the museum. Built in 1904, it was designed to break the spirit of black men. Visitors today can see the isolation cells (called emakhulukhuthu or “the deep dark hole”) and learn about the “Tausa” dance—a humiliating search ritual where naked prisoners were forced to jump and clap to prove they weren’t hiding contraband. The Women’s Jail, a Victorian-style brick building, tells the stories of women like Daisy de Melker (South Africa’s most famous murderess) alongside political icons who were often arrested for “crimes” as simple as brewing beer or not having their passbooks.