The Health Ombud found no evidence that workplace bullying, or poor working conditions directly caused the deaths of six healthcare workers
By Mapaballo Borotho
The deaths of six healthcare professionals in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) sent shockwaves across the country, raising questions about the systemic challenges healthcare workers face in the public sector.
The deaths prompted the Health Ombud to investigate the circumstances surrounding each case and determine whether workplace conditions contributed to the fatalities.
The Ombud examined the deaths of hospital staff members in May last year, including Dr Tumelo Kgaladi of Addington Hospital, Dr Alulutho Mazwi, an intern at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, Dr Mvelo Cele, a radiographer at Port Shepstone Hospital, Dr Siyabonga Zulu of Ngwelezane Hospital, Dr SI Ngidi of Benedictine Hospital, and Dr Francis Idika of Vryheid Hospital.
In a report presented to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday, 9 July 2026, the Ombud found no evidence that workplace bullying, victimisation or poor working conditions directly caused the deaths.
However, the investigation uncovered serious systemic challenges in KwaZulu-Natal’s public health sector, including staff shortages, excessive workloads, ageing infrastructure and inadequate employee support.
Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena joined Phemelo to unpack the findings and explain what must be done to address the challenges facing healthcare workers.
“The report found that Kgaladi died at his residence while off duty. He had a history of mental health challenges before being placed at the hospital as a registrar on rotation in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department.
These challenges had not been disclosed to the hospital,” said Taole.
In Mazwi’s case, the investigation found that he did not die while on duty. Instead, he became critically ill late in the evening while at his residence.
The investigation also found that Cele died of natural causes, with an autopsy confirming cardiac arrest as the cause of death.
Ngidi died in an apparent suicide at his rented apartment outside Benedictine Hospital.
The Health Ombud further found that Nigerian doctor Francis Idika died of natural causes while off duty but on the hospital premises.
The Ombud recommended that the Department of Health should prioritise the mental health of healthcare workers, noting that one of the six healthcare professionals died by suicide.
“These deaths were unusual because our investigation also revealed that there were no other deaths of healthcare professionals in KZN during that period. The deaths of these young doctors really shocked us,” said Mokoena.
“It is a known fact that several provinces return money that is allocated to them every year unspent. Although there are budget constraints, the main issue is the poor management of the funds that could have been used to support some of our recommendations,” he added.
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast.
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