Doctors arrested after death of Johannesburg boy, post-surgery, get bail

Paediatric surgeon Prof Peter Beale and anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi were each granted bail of R10,000 in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning.

Beale and Munshi appeared in court after handing themselves over to Hillbrow police earlier in the morning.

Arrest warrants for the two were issued a week ago. The warrants stated that the pair would be charged with culpable homicide relating to the death of Zayyaan Sayed, 10. The child died in October at Netcare's Park Lane Clinic, hours after Beale performed what was meant to be a routine laparoscopic operation to stop reflux.

The child's parents sat in the second row of the packed court gallery. Other family members were also present.

Beale was wearing a blue checkered shirt, while Munshi was clad in a grey shirt. They stood close to each other in the dock.

Their bail conditions included that they should not leave Gauteng and must not communicate with witnesses at Netcare.

Munshi was, however, granted permission to travel to Dubai. He was told to hand his passport back to the investigating officer on his return.

The matter was postponed to March 31 2020.

Earlier, at the Hillbrow police station, father Mohammadh Sayed said they wanted justice and would see the case through to the end.