A KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) family is mourning the loss of 17-year-old Bongani Nthangase who died after being robbed and stabbed outside a popular restaurant on Durban’s North Beach last week. 

On Thursday afternoon, around 3pm, Nthangase from Chatsworth was at the beach when two young men approached him, demanding his cellphone and other valuables. He didn’t have any valuables to hand over, so the robbers stabbed him and fled the scene. 

The teenager was left in the beachfront parking lot, 500 metres from a mobile police station. Lifeguards administered first aid, and a bystander offered to drive him to Addington Hospital, just 2 km away.

“We tried everything to help him, but unfortunately, we couldn’t. The police told us if anyone put the boy in their cars and he passed away, they would be responsible,” a witness who asked not to be named tells Health-e News. 

So they called the ambulance instead. 

“We waited for three hours, and no one came to assist until the boy died. It was so painful to see someone die in front of your eyes, and you can’t assist,” the witness says.  

Regular occurrence 

In a desperate attempt to get help for the teen, one bystander even walked to Addington Hospital, but was told that there were no ambulances available. 

Police at the scene radioed the hospital for an ambulance and were told the same thing. A police officer who asked not to be named says they deal with this situation often.

“We are not allowed to put anyone who’s injured into the department’s car,” the officer says.

“We face this situation all the time. Many people have died in front of us, and we never do anything because we could even lose our jobs.” 

The South African Police Service didn’t respond to our query. 

A street vendor who witnessed the incident confirms that people lose their lives “almost every weekend”. 

“People are being robbed here all the time, and they don’t get ambulances on time,” he says. 

Ambulance shortage

KZN has been facing a severe ambulance shortage for years now. It was revealed during a health portfolio committee meeting in February that the province only has 212 working ambulances, with a shortfall of nearly 1200.

In addition to the ambulance shortage, KZN’s emergency medical services lack adequate basic medical supplies and trained paramedics. The health department didn’t respond to Health-e News’ query. – Health-e News