The nurse told the patient that her 12-week pregnancy could not be terminated, but added that for R700 he would assist her.
THE BETHAL Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 61-year-old Martin Mandla Mlotshwa after finding him guilty on charges of corruption.
The conviction and sentencing followed a lengthy investigation conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks) Middelburg-based serious corruption investigation unit.
A spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala, said that in June 2019, Mlotshwa, who was a nurse working at the Sead Community Health Care Centre (CHC), in eMzinoni, Bethal, demanded gratification from a patient who came to the clinic seeking medical assistance to terminate her pregnancy.
“The male nurse (Mlotshwa) introduced himself as Mr Sithole and he told the patient that the services that she required would not be possible because the pregnancy was already at 12 weeks. He then told the patient that if she could pay him a R700 gratification, he could assist her,” said Tshabalala.
The arrangement was made for the money to be paid to the nurse.
“The matter was reported to the police and further transferred to the Hawks for further investigation. An undercover operation was authorised and executed. The accused was arrested upon receipt of the gratification money on July 2, 2019,” said Tshabalala.
“During further investigation, it was established that the real surname of the nurse was not Sithole but Mlotshwa.”
Mlotshwa appeared before court on several occasions until the matter was finalised.
“On Friday, September 29, 2023, the accused was found guilty and sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment by the Bethal Regional Court,” said Tshabalala.
The provincial head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, Major-General Nicholas Jacobus Gerber, saluted the investigation team “for their excellent investigation that led to the appropriate sentence”.
“This will send a stern message to government and private citizens to refrain from corruption, no matter how small as it might just land you behind bars for a lengthy time,” he said.
