The family of a British doctor shot dead during violent protests in South Africa in August have hit out at negligent police who they say sent them into chaos before callously refusing to come to the victim’s aid.
Kar Hao Teoh, 40, a decorated surgeon, was driving with his mother Ainah, wife Sara and their two-year-old child while on holiday in Cape Town on August 3 when they encountered a road closure and police officers directing traffic.
Ainah and Sara said police instructed Kar to follow another car, which drove straight into Nyanga, infamous for being the murder capital of South Africa.
Moments later, the group was driving past burned-out cars through debris-strewn streets when a man approached the rental car and shot Kar in the head without warning.
Kar did not die immediately and his family desperately begged six police officers who arrived on the scene to call an ambulance, but claimed everyone ignored them as Kar fell unconscious.
“We said he’s a doctor. ”He saves lives. Please help him. He’s a good man.” But one (officer) even suggested taking Kar Hao to the nearest hospital himself, Sara said.
Ainah added: “What really broke my heart was that there was no empathy and care shown to us at that moment,” claiming the officers “walked away and kept talking to each other.”
Ainah also said that police refused to take the injured Kar to the hospital themselves, but offered to drive the family away and leave him there to die.
“They told us we could leave this place without my son. I said to him, ‘He is my son, how can I leave him there?’ Ainah told the newspaper BBC.
An ambulance eventually arrived on the scene an hour after the incident, by which time Kar had died.
The surgeon, a leading specialist, was shot dead after taking a wrong turn in South Africa
Ainah, Kar’s mother, said police refused to take the injured Kar to the hospital themselves, but offered to drive the family away and leave him there to die
The deaths come amid violence across Cape Town in response to police confiscating illegal vehicles. In the photo: Residents of Masiphumelele gather near burning tires during protests
A spokesperson for the South African Police Service said in a statement to the BBC: “Should the family of the deceased have any concerns regarding the investigation or complaints made to SAPS, they are encouraged to approach the police with the information so that the allegations can be confirmed. investigated.
“It will be inappropriate to discuss such a sensitive matter with a third party as information could be misinterpreted.”
An earlier police statement said: ‘From the airport he apparently took a wrong turn and drove towards Nyanga.
“In Ntlangano Crescent, a number of suspects approached his vehicle and shot him dead.”
Paying tribute to Kar, colleagues at the British Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society described him as a ‘kind, gentle person’ and a ‘dedicated and talented surgeon’ who was a ‘rising star of the foot and ankle world’.
They said the leading trauma and orthopedics specialist had “already made a major impact”, having been awarded several international grants for his work and described him as a “loving family man” whose “sudden and tragic death shocked us all”.
Kar also won the Presidential Award at the European Foot and Ankle Society conference in Lyon for his research into the treatment of ankle fractures in 2021.
Kar, born in Singapore but of British nationality, was one of five killed by violence during the strike.
Violent demonstrations broke out in the town of Nyanga after police officers introduced new measures to tackle illegal vehicles in late July.
Mr Kar Teoh, 40, was an orthopedic surgeon in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire
A Masiphumelele resident uses a sign as a shield during clashes with law enforcement agencies amid an ongoing strike by taxi companies against traffic authorities in Cape Town, August 8
Members of the South African Police Service stand near a burnt-out vehicle in Nyanga during the ongoing taxi operators’ strike in Cape Town, South Africa, August 7, 2023
Kar studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and the University of Dundee, before completing higher surgical training at the Wales Deanery.
He won numerous research awards and was later elected to the Faculty of Surgical Trainers by the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in recognition of his educational work.
A spokesperson for the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he worked, said: ‘Sadly, we can confirm that Mr Kar Hao Teoh, trauma consultant and orthopedic surgeon, has passed away.
‘He was a highly respected member of the team, a valued colleague and friend to many in the hospital, as well as in regional, national and international trauma and orthopedic networks.’
Kar also worked privately for MSK Doctors, and close friend Professor Paul Lee paid tribute to him with a moving tribute online.
Professor Lee said: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our esteemed colleague and dear friend, Mr Kar Teoh, a respected trauma and orthopedic consultant who left us too soon on August 3, 2023.
“Mr Teoh was more than a triple board certified specialist in trauma and foot and ankle surgery.
“He was a guiding light in our professional community, a devoted friend and a cornerstone of many important projects,” he said.
‘Kar’s commitment to medical excellence was recognized in several prestigious international traveling Fellowships (BOA, BOFAS, AO, SICOT, EFORT, IBRA), and he was an avid supporter of research and undergraduate and postgraduate education.
“Yet his professional accolades paint only part of the picture. For those of us who were privileged to call him a friend and colleague, Kar was a reliable and steadfast presence.”
He added: “The loss of Mr Kar Teoh leaves a void in our hearts and our community.”
Lee said he was instrumental in the founding and success of WelshBone in 2007, MSK Doctors in 2017 and the MSK Regen conference in 2023.
“In each of these initiatives, Kar provided his unwavering support and played a crucial role in their success.
His cousin Sancy Low wrote on Facebook: ‘He had a great sense of humor and would have wanted everything to be light and hassle-free.’
a Just give A page has also been set up in memory of Kar, where people are invited to share fond memories that can be put together for his young son.
A law enforcement officer fires rubber bullets during their clashes with protesters in Masiphumelele, amid an ongoing strike by taxi companies
A protester blocks the streets with rocks and rubble during an ongoing strike by taxi companies against traffic authorities, in Msiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa, August 8
Law enforcement officers detain a protester during an ongoing strike by taxi companies against traffic authorities in Msiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa, August 8
The page reads: ‘The sudden and tragic loss of Mr Kar H Teoh has left a void in our hearts.
“Kar was not only a respected trauma and orthopedic consultant, but also a dear friend, a devoted colleague and a loving family man.
“His contributions to the medical field demonstrate his unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare.
“In addition to these professional achievements, Kar was known for his kindness, warmth and steadfast support for those around him.”
Angry activists linked to the influential private taxi industry threw stones at cars and buses and set some on fire during protests in August.
It came after a new municipal law gave local authorities the power to seize vehicles for driving without a driver’s license or registration plate and not wearing a seat belt.
The national taxi companies union said its members did not incite the violence and others used the strike as an excuse to launch their own protests.
But millions of workers and schoolchildren were forced to stay home and food deliveries were interrupted due to the protests.
Geordin Hill-Lewis, the mayor of Cape Town, said he would stand firm against the sector.
‘In Cape Town, violence will never be tolerated as a negotiating tactic. “We reiterate our call for SANTACO (the taxi union) to peacefully return to the negotiating table,” he said.