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Durban – A Durban cardiothoracic surgeon, who was accused of using the k-word by his colleagues when referring to a black doctor, and making other racist, blasphemous and bigoted remarks, has been dismissed by his employer, the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Professor Anunathan Reddi, who is also the head of cardiothoracic surgery at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, which is linked to the university, is appealing against the decision.
On Monday, the university’s executive director of human resources, Mojaki Mosia, confirmed the dismissal and that Reddi would appeal, but was tight-lipped on the details, saying the matter was sub judice.
The Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital’s chief executive, Dr Sifiso Mtshali, confirmed that he had been told of Reddi’s dismissal by the university and that the hospital no longer had a “formal arrangement” with him.
Mtshali said the cardiothoracic unit would not suffer and was fully operational.
He explained that Reddi was employed by UKZN – which was why the complaints against the professor were referred to it.
On Monday, The Mercury was told by a source that senior specialist Dr Raj Madansein had stepped into Reddi’s shoes.
Madansein was not listed among those who, last year, accused Reddi of racism, and who he, earlier this year, then accused of orchestrating a smear campaign against him.
In January, the Sunday Tribune reported that Reddi had served court papers on six of his medical colleagues claiming R2 million in damages.
They were doctors Gerard Alexander, Surendra Naidoo, Julian Buckels, Direndra Rajaruthnam, Kaven Naicker and Ebrahim Mansoor.
It was they who claimed Reddi had used the k-word and had referred to Muslims as “slumous”.
He had also allegedly made sexual innuendos when speaking to staff, used vulgar language when addressing them and ridiculed them in front of junior staff, the six said.
Reddi was also accused of making remarks that some Indians had not evolved from their ancestors’ days in the canefields, and that the only development they had shown since then was that their “sickles had been replaced by stethoscopes”.
Reddi denied the allegations of verbal abuse through his lawyer, Jay Reddy.
Reddy told the Sunday Tribune that the allegations were “baseless, vexatious and spurious in nature” and all part of a plan to unseat his client from his position as the cardiothoracic unit’s chief.
The allegations of racism, blasphemy, bigotry and unprofessional conduct first surfaced early last year, and were contained in a six-page complaint.
The Daily News then reported that the document stated that Reddi’s behaviour was indicative of his “inability to respect and value diversity of culture, belief and opinion in the workplace”.
At the time, Professor Richard Hift, the dean of UKZN’s Nelson Mandela Medical School, said that the matter was being attended to at executive level.
Repeated attempts to speak to Reddi on Monday night were unsuccessful.
leanne.jansen@inl.co.za
The Mercury
