Nokuthula Mguni, a Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holder, died at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg after staff delayed emergency treatment until an upfront payment was made. She passed away on 16 April following two operations for a severe infection.
Mguni, mother of three daughters, arrived at the hospital emergency room on a Saturday evening in April. Staff refused admission without R5,000, leaving her on a metal bench for hours despite her weakened state. Faizel Cook, who accompanied her, paid R4,000 after confrontations with administrators.
She underwent surgery on the following Monday and a second procedure on Wednesday. Mguni died at four in the morning on Thursday from sepsis that had spread through her upper body.
South African law prohibits public hospitals from denying emergency care based on nationality or inability to pay upfront. The Gauteng Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment on the case.
