Thohoyandou police spokesperson, Major Mashudu Malelo, confirmed that they have opened an inquest docket following the death of the doctor who died in March at his home village of Khubvi after he first collapsed at his surgery at Mukula village.

According to Malelo, the doctor was arrested a week before his death after a 22-year-old woman opened a rape case against him.

‘€œAccording to the woman, she met the doctor at his surgery in Mukula when she accompanied her child who was sick,’€ said Malelo.

‘€œThe doctor then examined the child and told her to come back the following day to collect medicines.   When she went back the following day, the doctor allegedly raped her.  

‘€œAfter she left the surgery, the woman came back to the surgery and told the doctor that she was feeling pain in her abdomen. He allegedly gave her R200 and promised to give her a job,’€ said Malelo.

The case was only reported to the police several days later after the woman told her mother about her ordeal. The doctor was arrested on the same day where he was kept in the custody until he was released on R2 000 bail by the Thohoyandou Magistrate’€™s court three days later.

Meanwhile, the rape case against another medical doctor is still continuing at Sibsa Regional Court.

The doctor, a clinical manager at Hayani Hospital, is standing trial on four charges of rape. He is alleged to have raped two of his patients during consultations at a private practice at Ha-Makhuvha village outside Thohoyandou. According to the charge sheets, the incidents happened two years ago.

He is also facing another rape case that allegedly happened at Malamulele while he was working at Malamulele Hospital in 2006. This case was initially withdrawn because of lack of evidence, but it has been reinstated this year. OurHealth/Health-e News Service

Ndivhuwo Musetha is an OurHealth Citizen Journalist reporting from the Vhembe health district in Limpopo.