40 GANG MEMBERS INVADE GOVT HOSPITAL, 8 STABBED

PIGG’S PEAK – Lawlessness became the order of the night when over 40 gang members fought at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital, after a bar brawl, resulting in eight people being stabbed.

The gang members invaded the hospital to continue with a fight that started at a local bar. The fight proceeded to the streets and blood splatter was found on the streets as well as inside the hospital where some of the gang members were stabbed. Noteworthy, the fight happened a stone’s throw from the Pigg’s Peak Police Station. The noise and screams from the fight were so loud that they could be heard at the Pigg’s Peak Police Station. The fight lasted for about 30 minutes. It is alleged that gang members from three areas, namely; Ndeva, Nkomazi and Sibovini were involved in the fight. The fighting is said to have happened at around 1am on Sunday.

Fighting

As the fighting continued, more bar patrons also joined in. Several people began to fetch their knives from their vehicles that were parked along the streets near the bars resulting in one person being stabbed along the streets. It is alleged that as the fighting intensified, some used knives to puncture tyres of vehicles of their rivals to prevent them from fleeing. One of the vehicles that had its tyres punctured belongs to the first victim to be stabbed, as his rivals wanted to make sure that he was not driven to hospital. However, some of his friends managed to take him to the hospital for treatment. However, their rivals followed them to the hospital in an attempt to finish him off. While the stabbed men was about to receive medical attention, more gang members arrived at the hospital.

It is alleged that security guards failed to stop them because the hospital gate is faulty. They said they had no option but to keep a distance, while ensuring that the nurses were safe from harm. The nurses had gathered outside the outpatient department (OPD) building, while some fled to other offices, where they locked the doors after the gang members ran into the hospital looking for the stabbed man. Some quick thinking security guards also closed the door leading to the OPD and put benches against them (doors). However, the violent gang members managed to break the door open and damaged some of the benches.

The gang members then began to fight among themselves and several people were stabbed. It was gathered that eight people were stabbed in total. According to some of the gang members, they had called the police when the fight started near the bar area. However, police officers are said to have driven by without attending to them. Yesterday morning, one of the people who had been stabbed was spotted walking  along the hospital corridors with bandages around his head and arms. It also appeared that he had a swollen right eye, possibly due to the injuries he sustained during the fight. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that one person was being treated at the hospital. She also said others did not report the incident to the police but instead left.

Arrested

Vilakati said it appeared that the fight may have started at a bar, but that they continued fighting inside the hospital. She said no one was arrested. This is the second recent incident in which gang members invaded a hospital to fight. During Christmas Eve of 2021, terror gang members, who were said to have been enjoying some alcoholic beverages at Yemfo Bar, forced their way into the Mbabane Government Hospital and attacked medical personnel. They damaged property including computers and doors as they terrorised the hospital staff.  

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