Sodišče Matlale: Zdravnik pravi, da je Kekana napadel policijo

In Johannesburg’s High Court, a paramedic testified on Tuesday that she was told by Musa Kekana, a key defendant in a high-profile criminal trial, that he had been assaulted by police during his arrest. The testimony emerged during a trial-within-a-trial concerning charges against Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and four others. According to Mary Ngapela, an ambulance emergency assistant employed by Netcare 911, Kekana recounted the alleged abuse shortly after she arrived at the scene. However, she did not document the claim in her official records nor inform the physician who later attended to Kekana at Edenvale Hospital. The incident took place on April 17, 2024, when Kekana was arrested and taken to a residence in Kew, Johannesburg. His legal representative, Riaan Gissing, argued before the court that police officers had beaten Kekana, bound him, and suffocated him using a plastic courier bag. This claim forms part of Kekana’s challenge to the admissibility of evidence gathered during his arrest. The state has charged Matlala and his associates with orchestrating three targeted attacks between August 2022 and January 2024, resulting in multiple casualties. These include taxi operator Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, actress Tebogo Thobejane, and music producer Seunkie “DJ Vetteys” Mokubung. All five defendants have pleaded not guilty to 25 charges, including 11 counts of attempted murder. Ngapela arrived at the scene on Eighth Road, Kew, where she found Kekana seated on the roadside, already under the care of another paramedic. Her assessment noted that Kekana exhibited elevated blood pressure and a rapid heartbeat, though his mental state was clear and his reported pain level was minimal. When asked by state prosecutor Elize le Roux whether Kekana had mentioned the assault, Ngapela confirmed he had done so, albeit in local language. She explained that she treated the situation as a standard medical case, focusing on immediate care rather than documenting the alleged abuse. During cross-examination, Gissing pressed Ngapela on her failure to record the account. She acknowledged that it was incorrect not to do so and admitted she had no justifiable reason for omitting the information. When asked whether the presence of blood in Kekana’s cough might suggest injury from the alleged assault, Ngapela stated it had occurred to her, but she proceeded with standard procedures once Kekana revealed he had undergone recent medical intervention. She maintained that the treatment she administered, oxygen and intravenous fluids, would remain unchanged regardless of the underlying cause. Ngapela also testified that she had not informed Dr Naidoo, the physician who received Kekana at Edenvale Hospital, about the alleged assault. Gissing questioned the necessity of such disclosure, and Ngapela conceded it was essential. Further inquiry focused on the period Kekana spent at a property in Fifth Road, Kew, after police directed the ambulance crew to accompany them. Ngapela stated she left Kekana on the driveway while returning to her vehicle, monitoring his condition intermittently. She claimed she was not instructed to stay away from the patient, yet she chose to leave him under non-medical supervision. When questioned about the consistency of Kekana’s vital signs throughout the time she monitored him, Ngapela agreed that stress or fear could contribute to the readings. She was also asked whether the alleged choking and lack of oxygen could explain the blood in his cough. She responded that if such conditions had occurred, it would indeed be possible. The testimony continues to unfold, with further questioning expected as the trial progresses.