Nurses Mistreat Patient at Mpumalanga Hospital, the DA Calls for Investigation

• The Democratic Alliance slammed an incident in which two nurses assaulted a patient, who eventually died
• An incident of the assault incident went viral on social media, and it happened in Mpumalanga nearly a month ago
• South Africans denounced the nurses, and many called for the attitude of health professionals to be investigated

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

NKOMAZI, MPUMALANGA — The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga demanded that the role two nurses played in the assault of a patient who died be investigated.

What happened in Tonga?

According to SABC News, a patient was allegedly assaulted by a nurse at the Tonga Hospital in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga. The patient, Lydia Makhoba, was taken to the hospital for her diabetic foot and hypertension to be treated. She died on 27 March 2025.

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What did the Democratic Alliance say?

The DA's Mpumalanga Member of the Provincial Legislature Bosman Grobler called on the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to probe the nurses' conduct. Grobler also called on the Cponcil to ensure that healthcare professionals be subjected to disciplinary measures for costing the department billions in negligence claims.

Similar incidents of nurses' altercations

In 2023, a paramedic took the legal route when he opened a case of assault after a nurse allegedly punched him in the face during a healthcare worker strike in KwaZulu-Natal. The ambulance he was in was transporting a critically ill child when protesters stopped the ambulance and assaulted him.

This year in January, a heated exchange between a South African nurse and a Zimbabwean national seeking medical assistance at a medical facility in Midrand, Ekurhuleni, went viral. The woman accused the nurse of not taking her too seriously. The clip caused a debate on social media.

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South Africans heartbroke

Netizens commenting on SABC News' Facebook post discussed their views on the incident.

Gwendolyne Scholtz said:

"It's so sad that nurses are doing it for a salary and not the passion of ill people."

Caleb Joshua said:

"The South African government with the South African Nursing Council, unions nd CHE are to blame. Nursing has stopped being a vocational profession. Instead, it has been flipped into an academic-focused employment entity. The professional side has died."

Le Bo simon Dikgale said:

"It is sad that the patient succumbed to the illness that brought her to the institution. We need to be certain if we want to be public servants or just being there to secure a salary."

Vanessa Spies said:

"Nursing care in general has deteriorated."

HSPCA launched inquiry into Dr Phophi Ramathuba

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the HPCSA launched a probe into Limpopo Premier Dr Phoiphi Ramathuba for her conduct as the province's health MEC. This was after a video of her slamming a patient went viral.

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In the video, Ramathuba accuses the patient of taking up bed space where South African patients were supposed to be lying. The HPCSA condemned her actions.

Source: Briefly News