The family of a man who was shot dead while lying in a ward at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley is demanding answers from the provincial Department of Health on how security was breached at the hospital.
Deon Mkwanazi was shot dead in his bed at the hospital on Friday morning allegedly by four men dressed in personal protective equipment.
Mkwanazi’s brother, Lawrence, says his family is struggling to come to terms with the shooting.
“The Department of Health, the Premier Dr Zamani Saul, they should tell this family and all other families that have people at that hospital how those people entered those premises. They must come and tell this family and they must take responsibility for the death of my brother. The security company which is there also should account for the death of my brother. We want the Department of Health to take responsibility for what happened; the manner in which my brother got shot.”
Provincial Health Department MEC Maruping Lekwene refused to comment on whether the hospital security company should take any responsibility for the incident.
“It’s quite early for me to comment on that question. As I am saying, the police are doing their own investigations. The preliminary report which I received is that during that time of the early morning, there were no cars which were recorded which passed our boom gate. There are no cameras in the corridors of the hospital. So we were just thinking that maybe at some point we will have to beef up our security.”
