Tributes paid to British surgeon killed during protests in Cape Town

Kar Hao Teoh, 40, described as a ‘loving family man’ and a ‘dedicated and talented’ medic

Tributes have been paid to an award-winning British surgeon and “loving family man” who was shot dead during violent protests in South Africa.

Kar Hao Teoh, a trauma and orthopaedics consultant who worked at the Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, Essex, was on holiday in Cape Town when he was killed on 3 August. It is believed he had taken a wrong turn from a nearby airport when a group approached his vehicle and shot him.

Teoh’s “sudden and tragic death … has shocked all of us”, said his colleagues at the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. “He was remembered by colleagues past and present as a kind, gentle person, a dedicated and talented surgeon and a rising star of the foot and ankle world who had already made a big impact in the British and European Foot and Ankle Societies.

“He has worked in Scotland, England and Wales and has left fond memories with people in all corners of the country.”

The society added: “He leaves a wife and a two-year-old son. Our heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to them all.”

There has been unrest in South Africa’s second-largest city since minibus taxi drivers announced a week-long strike in response to what their union says are heavy-handed tactics by police and city authorities in impounding vehicles.

The South African National Taxi Alliance said its members were not instigating violence.

Paying tribute to Teoh on Wednesday, the Princess Alexandra hospital said: “He was a well-respected member of the team, valued colleague and friend to many across the hospital as well as in regional, national and international trauma and orthopaedic networks.”

In 2021, the surgeon won an international prize for his pioneering research into the treatment of ankle fractures.

More than £25,000 has already been pledged to a JustGiving page that was set up to help and support his family. The page said his death had “left a void in our hearts”.

It added: “Kar was not just a respected trauma and orthopaedic consultant but also a dear friend, a dedicated colleague, and a loving family man.”

South African police said the 40-year-old was sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle when he was shot in the head. Three other passengers including an infant were also in the vehicle. The passengers were taken to a hospital for medical treatment, police said.

Police said they had opened a murder case over the shooting, which happened in the Nyanga township near Cape Town’s international airport.

Five separate murders have been recorded during the protests, which have included stone-throwing, road blockades, looting, arson and public violence, the South African police service said.

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