Cape Town – Lawyers representing disgraced doctor Nandipha Magudumana have reportedly demanded accountability from officials for forcing her to appear at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court despite her being unwell.
Magudumana was scheduled to appear with her accomplice, Thabo Bester, and 10 others in a case related to Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
However, she claimed to be ill and didn’t make it past the court holding cells.
According to EWN, her lawyer expressed outrage at her treatment, emphasising the need for accountability from the Department of Correctional Services, justice, and police for the incident.
Speaking in court on Wednesday, Magudumana’s attorney, Machini Motloung, expressed his astonishment upon discovering that she had been removed from her cell against her will, despite his prior knowledge of her illness.
Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s lawyer confirms that she fainted. Her legal team also claim that arrangements were made for Magudumana to appear virtually due to ill health. #eNCA senior reporter Silindelo Masikane has the details. Tune in to #DStv403 for more details. #NewsLink… pic.twitter.com/NLjh3G07uL
— eNCA (@eNCA) October 11, 2023
“That is the worst form of brutality on a human being – a woman who is lying in a prison cell until now, when we urged them to get her a mattress,” the rep0rt quoted Motloung as saying.
According to News24, the court heard that Magudumana had removed her clothing during her transportation from the prison in Kroonstad, where she is currently held, to the court.
Senior prosecutor, Amanda Bester (no relation to Thabo Bester), informed the court that the State became aware of Magudumana’s poor health on Tuesday, the report said.
However, she declined to undergo a medical examination.
The proceedings experienced an almost one-hour delay when it was reported that Magudumana had collapsed in the holding cells, said the report.
The case has been transferred to the high court for pre-trial proceedings, and charges against three former G4S employees have been dropped.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
