Case of ANC man accused of assaulting paramedic deferred

The ANC man accused of assaulting a paramedic arrived in court on Thursday accompanied by fellow comrades including Loyiso Masuku, an MMC in the City of Joburg and wife of former Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku.

Masuku is the city's group corporate and shared services MMC.

Justice Ngalonkulu, the City of Joburg’s regional director, appeared at the Orlando magistrate's court.

Masuku, whose husband was fired as health MEC during the Covid-19 outbreak over tender irregularities, dodged journalists' questions outside the court after Ngalonkulu's case was postponed. The people she was with also threatened to break journalists' equipment.

They also said Ngalonkulu's alleged victim, Shalati Mushwana, was a liar and that the whole matter was a political ploy.

Ngalonkulu, who faces a charge of common assault, is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with Mushwana at   Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital last month.

This was after Ngalonkulu’s brother was taken to the hospital following a car accident. 

Speaking to YFM after the incident, Mushwana said the fight was over parking space. She said she was accompanying an injured patient to the hospital’s trauma unit when her ambulance was blocked by Ngalonkulu's car.

She said when she asked him to make way for her, he lost his temper and began assaulting her.

Ngalonkulu. she said, beat her up in front of the hospital staff and when he was subdued by security officers, he repeatedly threatened her that he will see to it that she gets fired.

Fellow paramedics accompanied Mushwana to court on Thursday in a show of support. The parking lot was littered with ambulances and people wearing the green emergency management services (EMS) uniforms.  

Speaking to the media following the court case, Gauteng EMS director Robyn Ruiter said Mushwana had not yet made a full recovery but was on duty. 

“The victim is at work but obviously not doing operational clinical duties, she is in the administrative part.

“In terms of attending counselling sessions and checking on her medical sessions, that is being done by our clinical team as in terms of injuries on duty that is per our medical process.

"We are allowing that process to unfold and not pushing her. It is still too early, we want her to recover fully before she can return to work," said Ruiter.