Family demands answers from hospital and police after nephew found dead

The distraught family of a 26-year-old man whose badly decomposed body was found on the lawns of Thelle Mogoerane Hospital are demanding answers from the hospital management and the Vosloorus SAPS, whom they have accused of “dragging their feet” in resolving the matter.

According to the Lemaoana family of Mailula Park, in Vosloorus, their trauma started on June 23, 2017. The family claim that on that day they were informed by a relative who works at the hospital that their nephew Tisetso Thantsa (26) had been admitted to Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in critical condition.

The family later learnt that Thantsa had been rescued by the police from an enraged mob who accused him of being part of a gang of nyaope addicts who were terrorising the community.

He had been badly beaten by the mob, but the police managed to rush him to the hospital in time to save his life.

The dead man’s aunt, Nomsa Lemaoana, told Kathorus MAIL they visited Thantsa in hospital on the morning of June 24. She recalled the family talking harshly to Thantsa about his reckless life of drug addiction.

“We reprimanded him and pleaded with him to change and live a normal life before he got killed,” said Nomsa.

The family claims that four days later, on the afternoon of June 28, they were visited by hospital officials who asked the family to accompany them to the hospital immediately.

“When we arrived at the hospital, we were taken to an area outside the borders of the hospital where we were shown the almost decaying remains of a dead male,” recalls Thantsa’s uncle, Tisetso Lemaoana.

According to Tisetso Lemaoana the face showed signs of decay and was beginning to balloon, and fluid was oozing out of the mouth.

Tisetso Lemaoana said he was later informed that his nephew had disappeared from the hospital ward and was found that morning by a hospital gardener in that condition.

The family believe the lack of communication from the hospital authorities about the matter has left them with many unanswered questions.

“How is it possible that a person who dies that morning to rapidly decompose to the state that Tisetso was in?” asked Nomsa.

The family claims that despite promises by the hospital’s CEO, Nomonde Mlambo, to personally see to it that the family receives assistance during their bereavement, they are still waiting long after the deceased was buried over a year ago, on July 15, 2017.

“We have been waiting for answers for over a year and now it seems as if we have been abandoned and forgotten,” said an aggrieved Tisetso Lemaoana. “We have heard nothing from the hospital, nor have we received any progress report from the investigating officer, Detective Sgt Mphela of the Vosloorus SAPS.”

Capt Piet Rossouw, media liaison head for Vosloorus SAPS, said the case is still under investigation.

“The post-mortem process is taking a little longer than usual and we are waiting for the pathologist’s report. There is also some additional information that still has to come from the hospital before we can hand the docket over to the State Prosecutor to proceed with prosecution in this matter,” Rossouw explained.

The family members are disputing some aspects surrounding their relative’s unexplained death, specifically:

• How did Thantsa manage to walk out of the hospital unnoticed by the security staff?

• If he disappeared from the ward on June 24, why was his body only found on June 28?

• Why did the hospital management tell the family that he had died on the 28th?

• Why did the hospital management never fulfil their promises?

Responding to our questions, hospital spokesperson Philani Mhlungu confirmed that Thantsa’s body was found by a hospital gardener on the northern premises of the hospital on June 28, 2017.

“Prior to his body being discovered (on that day) the patient had mysteriously disappeared from his ward at the hospital on June 25,” explained Mhlungu, who added that the Vosloorus SAPS was immediately informed that a patient was missing.

“When the body of the deceased was discovered, the police in Vosloorus were informed and they arrived to assess the scene. Later the forensics department was called to collect the corpse. The matter was subsequently reported to the Gauteng Department of Health as a ‘serious adverse’ incident,” Mhlungu explained.

Mhlungu added that the hospital did everything possible to try to locate the dead man’s family.

The hospital, however, denied making any promises of financial assistance to Thantsa’s family.

In a signed, emailed letter, the hospital’s acting CEO, Dr MM Malaka, said: “No financial assistance was promised to the family. The hospital management went to the patient’s home in an attempt to locate the family.”

According to Malaka, the hospital management located the deceased’s mother, aunt and uncle and they were all brought back to the hospital so that they could help identify the deceased.

“No promises of financial help were made to the family,” Malaka stated.