Bystanders deliver baby

A street vendor almost gave birth in the streets of Randfontein in full view of everyone on 5 July following a major delay by the Randfontein Emergency Services in attending to her.

According to the street vendor, Pretty Ngunze, she was busy selling fatcakes from her caravan when her water suddenly broke.

She says that following this, she together with one of the customers immediately called an ambulance but says that was a fruitless exercise.

“I called the ambulance at 9.30am, however, six hours later it had not arrived,” says Ngunze.

She explains to the Herald that she started having contractions while working in the caravan.

She then alerted one of her customers to inform another street vendor in the vicinity to call for help.

They contacted the Randfontein Emergency Services and were placed on hold for a while.

During this time, the customer together with the street vendor rushed to Steel Structure, a neighbouring business in the area where they alerted workers there of the situation at hand.

According to an employee at the company Daleen Scheepers, she together with her colleagues then rushed to the scene and upon arrival, Ngunze was in pain.

“We immediately took her to our offices just so she could wait for the ambulance there.

“Needless to say, we know nothing about delivering a baby so the best we could do at that point was really just to calm her down,” says Scheepers.

She adds that after a short while, they were all forced to tackle the situation and help Ngunze give birth.

“There was no turning back as it was too late to take her to a hospital.

“We really had no choice but help her deliver the baby right there and then,” says Scheepers.

Ngunze says that despite hours of waiting for an ambulance, only a paramedic arrived later that day, at approximately 1.30pm.

The Herald has contacted the Randfontein Regional Commander for the Fire Department Bennie Mohlabeng who says that he will revert back with comment after investigating the case.