Traumatised Joburg Woman Pleads: Bring Back Our Humanity

After allegedly putting her life at risk on Friday evening, a Joburg resident, Pam Green, has come forth with details of the events that unfolded which have left her having sleepless nights. They do not put MTN South Africa in a good light…

Pam from Second Chances, who describes herself on Facebook as “just an ordinary person who believes they can change the world”, updated her Facebook status late Monday afternoon to ‘feeling traumatised’ and wrote:

“I have no pictures, or videos to make this sensationalised, but this post needs to be written, read, and shared!

“On Friday night on my way home, driving along the highway, I saw something out of the corner of my eye but carried on driving. And then, 100m further down, I looked in my review mirror and realised that what I had seen was REAL!

“A woman had been pushed out of a moving car, her limp body had tumbled down the grass embankment, and landed in a heap in the emergency lane!!! OMG that’s a woman I screamed and reversed as fast as I could.

“She was screaming, not in pain at first, but in fear: “He’s coming back, go, he’s coming back to kill me”. I immediately called 10111 South African Police Service who I gave our exact location to, and asked them to send the police and an ambulance, to which i was told I had to dial 112 for ambulances, so I pleaded for them to send police in the meantime, and I immediately called 112….The MTN South Africa emergency services line…..

“For the first 1 and a half minutes of the call I had to listen to a computer explaining that it is a criminal offence to call emergency services if you are not in a real life and death emergency. To confirm that you know this and that you are really in an emergency, I must please press 1. I pressed 1. All this time, this poor lady is screaming in fear for her life, I’m fearing for mine, she is bleeding, I am crying. And MTN South Africa now reminds me that if this is not a real emergency, I will stand to have my cellular services discontinued!!! (I would like nothing more than to discontinue my services from these money hungry inhuman “service providers”)

“Finally after 2 minutes, an actual human being comes on the line. I explain what happened, that I need an ambulance, our location, and the injuries I can see. Human 1 says: Please hold. I hold. Human 2 comes on the line: Emergency services how can I help you? I explain what happened, that I need an ambulance, our location, and the injuries I can see. Human 2 says: Please hold. I hold. Human 3 comes on the line: Emergency services how can I help you? I explain what happened, that i need an ambulance, Our location, and the injuries I can see. Human 3 says: Please hold. I hold.

“Yes you guessed it…

“Human 4 comes on the line: Emergency services how can I help you? (Yes this is the 4th person I have to speak to about my confirmed life and death situation) I explain what happened, that I need an ambulance, Our location, and the injuries I can see. Human 4 says: Please hold. I do not hold! I scream and swear and lose my mind telling him to get someone to the scene (I have been on this emergency call for 8 minutes) I’m screaming that she is going to die, that whoever did this could potentially be coming back….Human 4 says: Don’t scream at me! and puts the phone down on me!!!

“Yes the MTN South Africa emergency line call centre agent put the phone down on me because I was screaming for help. So please, if you are ever in a life threatening emergency, make sure you speak politely and softly to the inhumane human on the other end of the line, because calling him sir, saying please, is much more important than the person’s life you are trying to save!!!

“The woman is still screaming, she’s trying to get up to run, the fear in her eyes will haunt me for the longest time! I go to her and ask her to try be still, she’s talking but none of it is making sense. Maybe she is concussed? She’s bleeding! She’s bruised! She’s crying!

“an absolute angel appeared out of nowhere… Lundi, a private security guard”

“And then an absolute angel appeared out of nowhere… Lundi, a private security guard for Hlokomelang Security Services saw the two of us on the side of the road and stopped to see how he could help. He stayed with us and waited while I called 10111 South African Police Service again. It had been over 30 minutes since my original call and nobody was on scene. Lundi suggested we go directly to a police station and assisted me to get the women into my car while I was on hold with the flying squad. (yes they even play music while you wait, how lovely)

“I was told that they have no record of my previous call!?!?! I have never screamed the way I did then, I screamed so much that I was transferred to the captain of the flying squad! I screamed, I threatened, all while this woman was losing consciousness in my car, the adrenaline had worn off and she couldn’t handle the pain. The captain said he would send the relevant help to where we now were. I gave him our current location, and within 30 seconds, 2 fire engines, an ambulance, a tow truck, 2 flying squad cars, and 4 plain clothes detectives arrived on scene. Hallelujah! I burst into tears!

“The ambulance paramedics immediately attended to the woman and told me which hospital they would be going to. I got contact numbers and said an emotional goodbye.

“The detectives came up to me to get a statement. They asked if I saw what happened. I said yes. They asked for the make of the car. I said an Audi A3. They asked if the woman knew who did this. I said yes, it was her husband. The detectives looked at me, stopped talking and walked back to their car and left. Yes, they left.

“I feel completely let down by our emergency services. Neither the flying squad, nor the MTN South Africa emergency line were helpful. It was a full hour before this poor woman received medical treatment. Where is our concern or care for human life?

“I keep playing this conversation between her and I:
“I don’t know why you are helping me, you don’t know me, you saved my life” I answered “I’m human, you’re human, this is what we do for each other” She replied “not even the police care, why do you?”

“For the first time I am left feeling hopeless! I don’t believe in our people. We live in a country where we are scared to stop and help another human being, where the people who should keep us safe don’t care. We have lost our humanity…

“It’s Monday afternoon and I still haven’t been able to get hold of the woman. Please keep her in your prayers. I shudder to think what her husband might have done.

“#bringbackourhumanity”

Within four hours of Pam publishing her post on Facebook it has been shared over 1,200 times and MTN South Africa responded: “Hi Pam Green. MTN will investigate the matter. Please send us an Inbox Message stating the time you made the call so we can look into this.”

Judging from many of the comments it may be too little too late.

UPDATE: Many South Africans reading Pam’s story have suggested that for those who’d like to make their voice heard, contact: Independent Police Investigative Directorate 012 399 0000 / The Presidential Hotline 17737 / www.facebook.com/MTNza/

Response from MTN’s Mteto Nyati: “As CEO of MTN South Africa I am shocked to read about your poor experience with us. I apologize to you for this lapse in service. We will use this experience as a learning opportunity to make sure that no other human being goes through it. My apologies once again. I have already initiated an investigation into this matter. Based on our findings, we will take the necessary disciplinary action. The agent involved will be suspended immediately.”