Wesley Craig is a Lecturer in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cape Town and an Emergency Care Practitioner with operational experience in Cape Town and surrounds. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Emergency Medical Care and is pursuing a PhD in Forensic Medicine, focusing on the intersection of EMS and domestic violence. His research interests include postgraduate emergency care education, EMS systems analysis, and forensic–emergency care linkages. Wesley is also co-convenor of the PhD in Emergency Medicine programme and actively contributes to advancing equitable, patient-centred emergency care in South Africa
Mr Merwe Wiese
Merwe Wiese is an operational ECP paramedic based in Cape Town with a strong focus on delivering advanced prehospital care. Passionate about clinical excellence and patient safety, he is actively engaged in local prehospital research and strives to contribute to the advancement of evidence-based emergency care in South Africa.
Mr Richard Schouten
My name is Richard Schouten (pronounced Skowe-Ten), husband and proud father of two sons who serve alongside me at the National Sea Rescue Institute, Station 19 Richards Bay.
I graduated from Technikon Witwatersrand in 1996 with a National Diploma in Ambulance Emergency Care and began in a neurosurgical ICU before moving into road-based intensive care, aeromedical, and retrieval medicine. When the demands of flight service grew, I joined the Boksburg Fire Department, qualifying in Firefighting, Hazmat, and Urban Search & Rescue.
I later worked with private ICU transfer teams, helped develop EMS services in Eswatini, and spent time in remote environments across Mozambique. Returning home, I served in both private ambulance services and KZN Provincial EMS in rural Umkhanyakude.
Since the Covid-19 lockdown, I have been a lecturer at the KZN College of Emergency Care, where I continue today while pursuing a Master’s in Philosophy in Emergency Care (Clinical Stream) at UCT.
Mr Abongile Xeketwana
Abongile Xeketwana is a healthcare leader with nearly a decade in EMS. Currently serving as a Clinical Governance Coordinator and EMS Sub-District Manager in the Eastern Cape, he is passionate about patient safety, quality care, and empowering teams. Abongile is completing his MBA in Healthcare Management and is committed to advancing EMS through innovation and continuous improvement.
Mr Izak Venter
I obtained my B.EMC in 2022 and have been working in the private sector since then. While working I have discovered a passion for the different systems within which we operate and how we can integrate them to the benefit of our patients. I spend the majority of my time in patient care, but I am also involved with the management of a private ambulance service. This is a balancing act that can be quite daunting, but I believe it is one that has made me a better practitioner.
