Publications
- A doctor detailed the final moments of a man who died during student funding protests.
- Speaking to reporters outside the clinic, Doctor Tebogo Sedibe said the man was "gasping" after being shot, allegedly by police.
- IPID dispatched investigators to get to the bottom of the fatal turn of events.
The doctor, who treated the man who died outside a healthcare facility in Braamfontein amid fee protests on Wednesday, has detailed the man's final moments while trying to resuscitate him.
The man died on a pavement after being shot, allegedly by police.
"I found him gasping for air, that's a sign of end of life and I tried to resuscitate him, and unfortunately it was not successful," Dr Tebogo Sedibe told reporters outside the clinic on Wednesday afternoon.
#WitsAsinamali : Dr Sedibe had just treated the 35-year-old adult male when he heard gunshots. He found him outside the clinic, gasping for air WATCH #WitsProtest @TeamNews24 . pic.twitter.com/u6zuBUgVNw
— Canny Maphanga (@CannyMaphanga) March 10, 2021
Sedibe said had just consulted with his 35-year-old male patient when he heard gunshots. Soon afterwards, his patient was lying on the ground outside the Myclinic in Braamfontein.
Sedibe said he saw a wound above his patient's right eye, as well as wounds on the hip and below the chest. Sedibe said he could not disclose the patient's reason for visiting the clinic, but he confirmed the man was in good health. In an earlier interview with Newzroom Afrika, Sedibe said he had given the man a sick note moments before he was shot.
READ | Wits shooting: IPID to probe killing of man near student protest
The doctor was in the process of treating another patient when he heard shots coming from the street. In those moments, he had already called emergency services.
Unresponsive
Netcare 911 emergency earlier told News24 they had found the man "unresponsive on the pavement" and declared him dead on the scene.
It is believed the police were attempting to disperse Wits students, who were protesting about student funding, when the fatal incident took place.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been tasked with investigating whether the man was indeed shot by police, News24 reported.
Sedibe told the news channel he would not be drawn into speculating about the ammunition which might have been used.
"I'm not an expert," the doctor said.
Student protesters formed a guard of honour for the man as he was taken away by pathology services.
News24 earlier reported that four investigators from IPID had been dispatched to the scene, according to the directorate's spokesperson Ndileka Cola.
"The directorate has dispatched four investigation officers to probe the allegations. The team will also cordon the crime scene and conduct the investigation, including locating the person with the video footage, identify eyewitnesses, etc."
Wits students have been protesting against the non-registration of students who owe the university.
