We usually hear taxi passengers complaining about the poor attitude and reckless driving of South African Taxi drivers but not Nhlonipho Zulu from Richards Bay who has been hailed as a “hero” after he helped a woman give birth in his taxi on the 8th of January 2020.
According to the provincial health department, Zulu was about to finish his shift when an eight-month pregnant passenger told him she suspected she was about to go into labour. He was travelling between Nongoma and Hlabisa at the time and had to drop off two other passengers before rushing the pregnant mother who is in her early 20’s to the nearest clinic.
However, upon examining her, nurses allegedly disputed that she was about to go into labour.
The 31-year-old taxi driver was concerned about the state of the hysterical mother who begged him to stop the taxi. He realized that the baby was on its way so he stopped the taxi to help her give birth. He drove for another kilometer until he saw local homesteads, where he sought help. “Fortunately, there were some elders who were able to cut the umbilical cord. By the time I took her to hospital, the baby was wrapped up in a blanket”, said Zulu
“What Mr Zulu did is nothing short of heroic. He could have just left her at the clinic and continued minding his own business but instead, he forgot about all his commitments and stayed the course until the very end”, said Health MEC,Simelane-Zulu. The KZN health department is aware of the allegations and has ordered an investigation of the improper conduct by nurses at Buxedene Clinic, who allegedly turned the pregnant mother away.
The Department said both mother and baby are in a stable condition at Benedictine Hospital.
