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SA’s health emergency | Teenager dies seeking medical care
An Eastern Cape community is furious following the death of a 15-year-old girl.
MOTHERWELL - An Eastern Cape community is furious following the death of a 15-year-old girl.
Zenizole Vena was allegedly held hostage and gang-raped.
But she was turned away from Motherwell clinic in Nelson Mandela Bay when she went there for help.
Staff at the clinic allegedly told the child to first report the case to the police, but she died on the way there.
The community has now shut the clinic down, demanding the removal of staff members.
Vena's grandmother says she last saw her on 17 September when she attended a school function.
Four days later she received news that her granddaughter was no more.
The provincial health department says it's normal for clinics not to deal with rape cases.
The department says cases are reported to the police station and victims are then taken to recovery centres.
Eastern Cape police say an inquest and rape docket have been opened.
Meanwhile, samples were taken for toxicology tests to determine the exact cause of death.
* eNCA's Nceba Ntlanganiso reports.