Middelburg – A 61-year-old male nurse, who solicited a R700 bribe to perform an abortion, has been sentenced by the Bethal Regional Court in Mpumalanga to eight years in prison.
Martin Mandla Mlotshwa was found guilty of corruption and sentenced on Friday, (29 September 2023).
Mlotshwa was arrested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced as a result of a lengthy investigation conducted by the Hawks’ Middelburg-based Serious Corruption Investigation Unit.
The court heard that on 2 July 2017, Mlotswa, then employed as a nurse by Sead Public Clinic in Emzinoni Bethal, demanded gratification from a woman who wanted to terminate a pregnancy.
The male nurse introduced himself as “Mr. Sithole”.
He told the woman that the services that she required would not be possible because her pregnancy was already at 12 weeks.
However, the accused told the patient that if she paid him R700 he could overlook the 12-week limit and perform the abortion.
The woman agreed to pay the bribe. An arrangement was made for the money to be paid.
Unbeknownst to the accused, the woman reported the matter to the police.
The case was then transferred to elite crime busters – the Hawks – who carried out a sting operation.
The accused was arrested upon receipt of the gratification money.
Further investigation established that the real surname of the bribe-seeking nurse was not Sithole but Mlotswa.
Mlotswa appeared in court on several occasions until the matter was finalised on Friday, (29 September 2023).
The Mpumalanga Head of the Hawks Major-General Nicolas Gerber applauded the Investigation team for their excellent investigation, which led to the appropriate sentence.
