Eastern Cape Health Workers Hijacked Near Qumbu as Mandela Month Outreach Ends in Armed Robbery
Health workers travelling to deliver vital rehabilitation services during Mandela Month were violently targeted in a brazen armed hijacking near Qumbu, leaving a vulnerable Eastern Cape community without essential healthcare and sparking outrage from provincial authorities.
The Eastern Cape Department of Health has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a cruel assault not only on frontline workers but also on the communities that rely on them for critical medical support.
The incident unfolded as four health workers travelled to Mzoboshe Village near Qumbu, outside Mthatha, where they were due to provide rehabilitation services as part of Mandela Month outreach programmes. Instead of reaching patients in need, the team was confronted by armed criminals who hijacked their vehicle and stole all of their personal belongings.
The shocking attack has forced the cancellation of planned healthcare services for residents in the Mhlontlo area, many of whom were expecting assessments for assistive devices, including wheelchairs and other rehabilitation equipment.
For many rural communities, outreach programmes are often the only opportunity to access specialised healthcare without travelling long distances. The hijacking has therefore had consequences far beyond the immediate victims, depriving vulnerable residents of services they had been waiting to receive.
Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa condemned the incident in the strongest terms, saying the attackers had shown complete disregard for the wellbeing of the very communities they live among.
“These teams were taking health services to people’s doorsteps, a gesture that honours the sacrifices of former President Nelson Mandela and embodies the spirit of Mandela Month. To attack those who serve is an attack on the community itself,” Capa said.
The MEC urged law enforcement agencies to pursue those responsible with urgency and ensure they are brought before the courts.
She also stressed the importance of educating communities, including those involved in criminal activity, about the role healthcare workers play in serving every resident without discrimination.
“We must educate communities, and the criminals themselves, about the essential services health workers provide indiscriminately to all our people, including those who commit crime,” she said.
The department has appealed to residents across the province to stand together in protecting healthcare workers, warning that attacks on medical staff threaten the delivery of essential public services.
Officials described the armed robbery, carried out in broad daylight, as a deeply disturbing crime that should be condemned by every member of society.
Meanwhile, the four affected health workers will receive psychological support to help them recover from the traumatic ordeal. The department said they may also be granted leave to allow them time to recover before returning to duty.
The incident once again highlights the growing risks faced by frontline workers who travel into remote communities to provide desperately needed healthcare. As police investigate the hijacking, the focus now shifts to bringing those responsible to justice and restoring services to the residents left waiting for care.
