Picture: Gcina Ndwalane
Tashir Thaku, the owner and manager of Parlock Health Care Centre in Inanda, found himself fighting for survival just hours after narrowly escaping an attempted hijacking outside his clinic.
The 42-year-old's life took a terrifying turn when he was attacked and stabbed multiple times by a patient of his wife, Dr Kirona Hansraj, on Friday morning.
The incident unfolded when Thaku, who also serves as the practice manager, took it upon himself to communicate sensitive information regarding the patient’s issue, after the patient felt uncomfortable discussing the matter with his wife.
“When I opened the door, he suddenly lunged at me, stabbing me without any provocation,” Thaku recounted, his voice shaken.
“He pulled out a big knife and started poking me while aiming for the neck. I kept screaming for help and trying to escape, but there was nothing I could do.”
The assault left Thaku with eight stab wounds, including three to his head, and several other injuries that have since been diagnosed as a fractured jaw, rib, and shoulder.
“He bit my fingers, stabbed me everywhere, and started strangling me. I passed out from not having air. It felt like a murder scene," he said.
Thaku was rushed to eThekwini Hospital, where he regained consciousness after what he described as a traumatic and potentially fatal attack.
“In that moment, all I wanted was to protect my wife,” he said.
“I didn’t know why he was attacking me and that uncertainty made the situation even worse. The longest ten minutes of my life were spent begging him to stop; if no one had stepped in, I’m certain he would have killed me.”
Thaku’s recovery will span at least eight weeks.
“My family is as traumatised as I am; I want justice to prevail," he said.
Compounding the horror of his assault was the fact that earlier that morning, Thaku had encountered a near-hijacking situation.
“I opened the surgery at 7:30 am when a man confronted me in my vehicle. He told me to get off, and I did, but as he came towards me, I jumped back in, closed the door, and knocked him. I opened a case at the Newlands police station afterwards.”
The community, however, took swift action when they learned of Thaku’s stabbing. Thanks to residents and the local security services, the suspect was apprehended. Aadel Kara, the Newlands Community Policing Forum public relations officer said: “We received reports regarding the medical emergency and, due to a description circulated among CPF patrollers and SAPS, the suspect was caught before he could flee."
Police did not respond at the time of going to print.