Judge cans R2.7m penis claim

2003-08-05 22:15

Nicolize Mulder

Pretoria - A cooked penis found in a free staff meal turned a cleaner at a Pretoria hospital into a vegetarian overnight.

Sophie Matlala, 60, was so badly traumatised by what she found in her goulash that she lodged a damages claim in Pretoria High Court of more than R2.7m against Medforum Hospital.

But, Judge Phineas Mojapelo rejected the claim, allowing the hospital's special plea that the summons was served more than three years after the incident on May 1999.

The summons was issued on the last day of the three years, but only served three days later.

Mojapelo said the experience was traumatic. She had taken a few bites of the meal before tackling the piece of meat.

"To her surprise it was so slippery she was unable to cut it," said the judge. "She put it in her mouth with her hand, but it was too tough to chew."

Sangoma

When Matlala later discovered what she'd tried to eat she became violently ill and could not work for two days.

Dissatisfied hospital workers wanted to know what would be done. The court heard that food for patients and staff came from different suppliers.

The offending item was sent for medical tests, and a district surgeon confirmed it was a "male sex organ".

Because it had been cooked, tests could not exclude the possibility that it had belonged to an animal.

The damages claim against the hospital was for emotional shock and medical expenses.

After the incident, Matlala visited doctors, psychologists and sangomas.

She argued the hospital should have ensured staff meals were fit for human consumption.

- Beeld