Man claims assault by Rob Ferreira Hospital guard
A man claimed he was attacked and stabbed during an alleged argument with a security guard outside Rob Ferreira Hospital.
According to Pieter Botha, he had been employed at the hospital doing admin work for 23 years and is now retired.
“I am struggling to get my pension. They want my divorce agreement, which I cannot find as I was divorced about 20 years ago.”
Botha said he went to the hospital on the morning of Friday August 17.
“The guard would not let me onto the property. I argued with him as I wanted to enter the property so I could speak to them about my money. He then hit me with his fists and stabbed me with a knife on my side.”
Botha said after this he was taken to the emergency area and treated. “I got a J88 form, which I took to the police as well.”
Department of Health spokesman, Dumisane Malamule confirmed Botha was a retired employee. “He came to the security gate of the hospital at 07:00.”
Malamule said their department found that it was alleged that Botha was the one who began assaulting the security supervisor, along with using the k-word. The supervisor allegedly defended himself as he was being physically assaulted by Botha and they ended up fighting.
“Botha sustained a laceration on the forehead which was sutured in casualty on the same morning. No stabbing occurred, it was just a hands-on-hands fight.”
He said on the same day the security manager did a follow-up of the incident in the corporate manager’s office, where the matter was being dealt with. “He was also verbally assaulted, and also called the k-word.”
He claimed Botha was under the influence of alcohol on the day of the incident.
Malamule said Botha went on retirement at the end of June, and his pension applications were sent to the pension office before the end of that month. “The pension office requested of him to submit his divorce decree, which he has at this moment not submitted. Pension payouts are not controlled by the hospital, but by the pension office, and he was advised several times on this.”
Police spokesman Lt Col Erhard Stroh said Botha’s case docket was opened. “A case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened. We are busy investigating the matter.”
