Staff Reporter
KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services personnel were kidnapped at gunpoint, robbed and forced to drive their captors to at least two taverns to buy alcohol during a four-hour ordeal on the R34 early on Sunday, the provincial Department of Health said.
The EMS workers had been responding to a call for assistance at Nkwalini Store when they were confronted by armed assailants who took their personal belongings and forced them to use their bank cards to purchase alcohol.
“While responding to a call for help, a call made in the sacred name of saving lives, our staff were held at gunpoint, robbed of their personal belongings, and forced to drive to at least two taverns to purchase alcohol using their own bank cards,” the department said in a statement.
“They were held captive for four hours before being released. Thankfully, they were not physically assaulted, but the psychological trauma inflicted is immeasurable.”
The department said the attack was not an isolated incident and formed part of a worrying pattern of criminality targeting emergency workers in the province, where EMS services were already under pressure because of high demand.
“Our employees answer the call to assist those in dire need, yet they are increasingly being turned into targets of exploitation and criminality. This is unacceptable.”
KZN Health media liaison officer Nathi Oliphant said it was a “sad indictment on our society that we are the only communities who would call upon public help only to abuse and rob the very people deployed to save us”.
“In any other situation — including war — emergency workers are protected and revered so they can carry out their life-saving duties without fear or favour,” he said.
Oliphant said the matter had been reported to the South African Police Service for investigation.
“[W]e trust that the law will take its course and make an example of these culprits,” he said.
He appealed to communities to help police identify those responsible for the attack.
“It is high time that we as communities say: enough is enough. Surely, someone knows who committed this brutal act,” the department said.
“We encourage anyone with information to come forward and report these criminals to the nearest police station so they can face the full might of the law.”
The department said it would continue to push for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
“Our EMS staff are heroes, not targets. We will not rest until those who perpetrate such violence against them are brought to justice.”
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