By Zanele Makola
Bakhe Pita, a third-year student from the Tshwane University of Technology, went missing after being admitted to Brits Hospital. He was in the hospital’s casualty ward from 7 August 2024 until his disappearance on 10 August 2024. Bakhe was taken to the hospital after showing signs of mental health problems, with hopes of receiving treatment.
According to a report, the North West Health Department has suspended the hospital staff who were on duty when Bakhe went missing. The National Health Department claims that missing persons at hospitals are not unusual. News24 reported that around 313 people have gone missing from hospitals across the country since last year.
Zoleka Pita, Bakhe’s mother, stated that she went to the hospital on 10 August 2024 at 15:00, as per usual, to check on her son. That’s when she was told the devastating news. According to the nurses, Bakhe went missing at around 02:45 AM. “I did not receive a call informing me that my son was missing. I was only told when I got to the hospital hours after his disappearance,” Zoleka Pita said.
She added that the police were not called to file a missing person’s report; she had to go to the police station to open it herself. The hospital footage presented to her showed her son roaming around the hallway but did not reveal where he disappeared to.
The Department of Health in North West and the National Department were contacted. The Provincial Department acknowledged the request but refused to be interviewed. To date, Zoleka has not received any updates regarding her child’s disappearance. In an interview, she mentioned that she is depressed and unable to work due to the impact of her son’s disappearance.
