A 25-year-old man has been slapped with a 15-year prison term for robbing an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew back in July 2023.
Circumstances Leading To The Arrest
Matome Tumi Sepesu and three others robbed and assaulted the crew in Nellmapius, east of Pretoria, after hijacking their vehicle and snatching their personal belongings and work tools while they were responding to a distress call.
The Pretoria magistrate’s court handed down the sentence on Wednesday. However, Sepesu is the only one of the four culprits who has been caught. The hunt is still on for the other three, and the police are digging deep into the case.
Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the Gauteng MEC for health and wellness, has applauded the court’s decision, seeing it as a strong message to those who target healthcare workers.
“This conviction sends a strong message to criminals who are targeting healthcare workers when they are discharging their duties and trying to save the lives of communities. Our teams have been subjected to senseless attacks in some of the communities. This … has made it rather difficult for them when they have to respond to emergencies.”
The Worrying Trend Of Robbing Emergency Medical Service Personnel
Sadly, this week alone, there have been two more attacks on EMS teams in Gauteng. In one incident in Ekurhuleni, two suspects robbed paramedics and fled with a critical piece of equipment used for dispatching calls. This occurred while the crew was tending to a patient at the back of the ambulance.
The second incident took place in Eersterust, Mamelodi, where a suspect stole a cell phone from one of the paramedics while they were attending to a patient. Fortunately, the community and CPF (Community Policing Forum) rallied together, aiding the police in apprehending the suspect and recovering the stolen phone.
However, the situation took a frustrating turn when the suspect was released on bail after appearing in court at the Hatfield branch in Pretoria. The next court appearance is scheduled for May 2, 2024.