Family members of the late Simphiwe Mbalekwa Mahlangu, who recently passed away at Mamelodi Regional Hospital, say the deceased’s cellphone went missing right after he died.

The family is demanding answers on how their loved one’s cellphone mysteriously went missing at the hospital.

Simphiwe Mbalekwa Mahlangu (24) from Mamelodi East, Section SNS, was also known as well-known DJ Bee at Monaco Chisanyama, and passed away on March 18 after spending a week at the hospital.

His mother, Duduzile (54), said the hospital called and informed them about his passing, but when the hospital staff gave them his belongings, the cellphone was missing.

She notified the hospital staff right away and was told that what had been handed over where the belongings the hospital had, and staff did not know what happened to his cellphone.

“One of the nurses on duty in Ward 3 handed us his clothes, blankets, food, a wallet with a cash amount of R140 and his cellphone charger,” Duduzile said.

“We launched a complaint about the missing cellphone, but the hospital does not want to take full responsibility for the cellphone.”

She said they wrote letters to the hospital management until the hospital finally arranged a meeting on April 13.

“But we were told that the hospital will not be held liable for the missing cellphone and that their nurses are not thieves,” she said.

Cousin of the deceased, Matlakala Legodi, said what baffled them as a family during the meeting was that the nurses on duty were not there.

Legodi said the hospital insisted that they had already interviewed and finished the investigation.

“The hospital management told us that the nurses at the hospital are not thieves and someone must have stolen the cellphone,” said Legodi.

She said they were not allowed to see the CCTV footage, and the clinic insisted there are no cameras in the hospital ward, for privacy.

The hospital management further said that if the cellphone were an iPhone, they could have traced it.

Matlakala said the cellphone could have information that could help them.

The hospital management offered the mother of the deceased counselling to help her heal.

“My son used to complain about stomach pains and swollen feet. The doctors kept promising him that they would take him for a stomach sonar scan, but it never happened,” Duduzile said.

The Mahlangu family pleaded with the hospital to compensate or replace the missing cellphone.

They claimed [the cellphone was] the last thing they remember their son having, and offering the deceased mother counselling will not bring the memory back.

Mahlangu was laid to rest at Heatherly Cemetery on March 25.

Rekord is still awaiting comment from the Department of Health.

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