A male nurse stationed at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, a mental health referral institution, lost his cool and attacked two nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital.
According to sources, the nurse became extremely agitated due to what he perceived as slow and inefficient service. He expressed his frustration through a barrage of verbal insults directed at the nurses before resorting to physical violence, using karate-style kicks and slaps.
The incident took place last Thursday when Ancestor Matambayashata (45) brought his wife, Monalisa Mushakarere (24), to Mpilo Hospital after she allegedly ingested poison. As they waited in the queue for assistance, Matambayashata, who was sitting with his wife on a bench, stood up and confronted two nurses, Sithembile Chiwanza (26) and Ashton Atika (26), who were attending to other patients.
According to a source, Matambayashata accused Chiwanza and Atika of delaying their service and handling paperwork too slowly, expressing his concern that his wife’s life was in danger due to the poison. This led to a heated argument between the parties involved.
The situation escalated quickly as an enraged Matambayashata physically assaulted the nurses. He grabbed Chiwanza by the throat and struck her face with two forceful slaps, causing a commotion throughout the hospital. He then grabbed a chair and hit Atika on the head, injuring his left eye.
Realising the threat to his safety, Atika managed to utilize his athletic abilities and sprinted into a nearby room, with Matambayashata in hot pursuit. Atika locked himself inside a storage room in Ward 4, while Matambayashata, still seething with anger, picked up a stone and shattered a window. Security personnel at the hospital intervened and restrained Matambayashata.
The police were subsequently informed of the incident, leading to Matambayashata’s arrest. Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.
“We would like to confirm that we received a case of assault and malicious damage to property that occurred at Mpilo Central Hospital. Investigations are in progress. We would like to urge community members to desist from resorting to violence whenever they are involved in disputes,” he said.
Mpilo Central Hospital Clinical Director Professor Solwayo Ngwenya acknowledged the incident but declined to provide further details. He did, however, mention that security measures at the hospital had been strengthened in response to the incident.
“I can confirm that such an incident occurred at the hospital. Some issues are confidential and I cannot disclose them to the members of the public. We have tightened our security to protect our patients, staff, and the public from any violent act. The accused person has since been arrested. Kindly phone the police they will furnish you with more details,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the beaten nurses, Chiwanza and Atika, were unsuccessful.
Source iHarare
