Gauteng: When Mphonyana Mtamane arrived at Zola Clinic in Soweto on the morning of 27 May 2026, she was visibly injured, with bruises and scratches showing on her face and neck.
Three days earlier, she had been raped by a friend's boyfriend, and needed time to gather the strength to seek medical care.
Mtamane, 20, had gone to the clinic for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an emergency medication that can prevent HIV infection after possible exposure from unprotected sex, rape, needle-stick injury, sharing needles, and contact with blood from someone who may have HIV. PEP must be started as soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours (3 days) after exposure.
By the time she arrived, that 72-hour window was closing. She explained to the staff what happened and that she urgently needed PEP.
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Instead of receiving urgent care, she was made to wait for five hours.
"I arrived at Zola clinic at 9am, and I received help at 2pm. My matter was not treated as an emergency despite having visible scratches and bruises on my face. I was drained physically and emotionally, I just needed help and compassion", she tells Health-e News.
She was eventually assisted by a health promoter who saw how distressed she was.
"She was concerned that four hours after my arrival, I was still in the same spot in the queue. She advocated for me to the nurses - she told them that my matter was an emergency and I should be helped as I am already within time constraints for PEP. She went over her working scope and opened a file for me so I can quickly see the doctor", says Mtamane.
Failed by healthcare providers
Speaking to Health-e News, the health promoter says she's not allowed to open files, but knew she had to intervene. "No one was willing to open a file for her. The PEP, PReP and family planning department administrator was not at their station. Mphonyana had already waited a long time when the administrator returned and told her to sit down and wait. That's when I opened a file."
This isn't the first time the health promoter has stepped in to assist patients. "I always find myself going overboard to help these young people due to poor service at the facility", she says.
Soon after, Mtamane was seen by a doctor. But even then, the care fell short. The doctor dispensed PEP medication without asking Mtamane any questions about her circumstances. She was not offered counselling, not referred to a social worker, and not connected to any GBV support service.
"I would have appreciated being referred to counselling or any GBVF victim empowerment department at the facility," Mtamane says. "I did not report the case to the police. I gave up after the treatment I got from the clinic. I just concluded that no one cares."
The health promoter says Mtamane was failed by healthcare workers. "She only received a shoulder to lean on from me and a few words of sympathy, which was not even close to what she needed."
Chris Maseko, a GBV activist and community empowerment practitioner, says Mtamane's experience reflects a systemic failure, not an isolated incident.
"South Africa has policies and laws that require survivors to receive immediate, respectful, and quality care. However, many health facilities are affected by systematic gaps and limited resources, which leads to the secondary victimisation of GBV survivors at a primary health-care level."
Maseko says an effective response to sexual violence requires coordinated systems from healthcare workers, forensic nurses, social workers, the National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Police Service. "When parts of this system are missing or under-resourced, survivors often fall through the cracks, mainly in rural areas, which worsens survivors' trauma and reduces their chances of obtaining justice."
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He calls for continuous training, mentoring, supervision and accountability to improve the quality of care.
Mtamane says she will not return to the clinic.
Thuthuzela Care Centres are one-stop facilities that offer immediate, integrated support for survivors of sexual violence and gender-based violence (GBV), including medical care, trauma counselling, and police assistance.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact the National Command Centre on 0800 428 428, email tcc@npa.gov.za, or dial *120*7867# to find your nearest Thuthuzela Care Centre.
