A South African medical student in Cuba is pictured in this screen grab being assaulted by a man in uniform. Photograph: Screen grab from video/Twitter @BenjaINXS
Department of Health probes assault of medical students in Cuba [WATCH]
A video of South African medical students being assaulted by men in uniform in Cuba has gone viral on social media.
A South African medical student in Cuba is pictured in this screen grab being assaulted by a man in uniform. Photograph: Screen grab from video/Twitter @BenjaINXS
The Department of Health is investigating an incident of assault of South African medical students in Cuba, allegedly at the hands of local authorities, after a video of the attack circulated on social media this week.
“The Department of Health would like to confirm that, some of the people who appeared in the video clip currently circulating on social media, are indeed South African medical students based in Cuba,” departmental spokesperson Foster Mohale said in a statement on Tuesday.
The video shows a man sitting on a couch with his hands behind his back, restricted by a man wearing a uniform. He is slapped by another man, who is also in a uniform.
The man is then dragged off amidst screaming, while the uniformed men assault more male students, and someone can be heard shouting ‘take this video, take this video bra’.
Watch the video here:
One female student could be heard saying “voetsek” repeatedly to the men in uniform
Deputy health minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo has appealed to the public to desist from sensationalising the video as it has potential to harm the families of the students and diplomatic relations between SA and Cuba.
“The department, working closely with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, and other relevant authorities has initiated a process to investigate circumstances which led to this unfortunate incident,” Mohale said.
Deputy Health Minister warns public about video
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has appealed to members of the public to desist from sensationalising the video clip as it has potential to harm the families of the students and diplomatic relations between South African and Cuban Governments.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has appealed to members of the public to desist from sensationalizing the video clip as it has potential to harm the families of the medical students and diplomatic relations between South African and Cuban Governments.
