MEC ENGAGES ARTIST

By Vinolia Chere

MEC took some time on Friday, 18 March 2022 to engage with artists in the Sedibeng District Municipality. The engagement was held to ensure that artists are able to raise their issues or concerns and find amicable solutions to ensure a positive working relationship.

In her address to the artists, MEC Mbali Hlophe said: “Because of COVID-19, our artists have gone through a terrible period, the past two years have been difficult, everyone who is an artist knows how much the pandemic has affected their work, but the pandemic has also shown us that there’s new opportunities for individuals and has really forced artists and sports athletes to start thinking out of the box, and that is why you have seen that when everyone was depressed by the hard lockdown, the DJ’s came up with lockdown sessions which were able to entertain people from their homes and they were really able to bring back some life even though everyone was depressed.”

MEC further explained that there’s a lot that was done and Minister Nathi Mthethwa was congratulating our province that we were the province that was able to give the most relief funds to artists as we account for 44% of the country’s relief fund distribution. There is an understanding that there is a lot of artists in the province and unfortunately not everyone was able to receive the funds.

“We are working with the Department of Economic Development to revive the heritage route of Sedibeng to keep the economy of this region alive. We must bring projects such as that of Vilakazi Street in this area, SMME’s, drive tourism to ensure that tourists utilise their spend in this region. We want to bring back sports and arts to schools because kids are getting involved in bad activities including drugs, we want young people to be engaged positively. We need to fill that gap working together with MEC Lesufi.” MEC also highlighted the importance of working with legends in the sports and arts fraternity to assist in developing and motivating upcoming talents and encourage young people to be involved in the business of sports or business of arts.

THE LANGUAGE OF SUICIDE

“Prevention and Stigma”

By: The late Dr Sindi van Zyl

Words have immense power. How we talk about emotions, behaviours and ideas has a strong influence over what we think about them – and how we make others think. The words we choose are more important than you might think and create an emotional impact. The only way we directly affected by each suicide. Suicide is not a word people like to say - it makes us uncomfortable. I have openly spoken about mental health, depression and suicide for many years and there’s a marked awkwardness/taboo around the subject. Many people feel their questions will make things worse – that just by asking questions around suicide or if someone has a plan to kill themselves it will trigger them to start planning or activate emergency response units.

We as mental health professionals have the ability to notice things, show care and concern, and to connect people at risk to professional help. Despite all those who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide or have been in that suicidal place themselves, this is still not a topic openly discussed. The stigma associated with suicide is very real. At the heart of the misunderstanding, ignorance and fear is language. “He committed suicide”; “Hannah successfully committed suicide after years of failed attempts” and “She’d always been attention seeking”.

We need a strict review of the way we talk about suicide. The language we currently use to report on or discuss suicide is insensitive, stigmatising, disrespectful and dated. The word ‘commit’ comes from a time when suicide was treated as a crime. Yet we still talk of people like they committed a crime when they die by suicide. “We now live in a world where we seek to understand people who experience suicidal thoughts, behaviours and attempts. We need to treat can change how society talks about suicide starts with us as doctors and mental health practitioners. If we change the way we as medical professionals refer or talk about suicide, we can help destigmatise it in our communities. In South Africa, as the rest of the world, suicide is a growing concern. For the 15 – 24 age group, suicide is the second leading cause of death. For teens, 9.5% of their deaths are due to suicide. Children as young as six have died by suicide and every hour someone takes their life. For every suicide there are approximately 20 attempts.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report, between 6 and 32 people are them with compassion rather than condemn them. Part of this is to use appropriate, non-stigmatising terminology when referring to suicide,” says suicide prevention adviser, Susan Beaton.

As we learn more about suicide, our language must evolve. Depression warps our sense of who we are, our sense of worth and value, and takes away our ability to see the future. SADAG runs the only suicide crisis line in South Africa (0800 567 567) and their counselling call centre receives as many as 600 calls a day. We need to be compassionate and sensitive when we talk to someone who is suicidal. In an unclear state of bereavement, survivors of suicide loss often wonder if they could have done something to prevent the death; they wonder if they contributed to their loved one’s actions. Their self- blame and guilt runs deep. We need to reach out to survivors of suicide loss – to understand how traumatic that kind of loss is – and try to ease their guilt and suffering.

SA HIP HOP LOST ANOTHER ARTIST

NTSEBE CECILIA

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Who Is Ntsebe Phiri?

I got my name from my maternal grandmother and the name is a clan name and doesn’t mean “know” me. You pronounce it like you’re talking about an ear in Setswana. Ke Setlogolo sa Thlophane Moumakoe, Bogoshi le Diale. Ke Kgabo Mokgatla ke namela setlhare ke ja borekgu.

I was born and bred in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. I am married and blessed with two well-grounded sons who are now out of the house and living in their own homes however they are never out of our pockets. I am also a Glamour Gran to my grandson Kabo Warona who is so adorable.

You’ve been working in the department for many years, please take us through your journey.

I was appointed to work in the Department in 2004 after serving 17 years in the Health Sector where my last job there was as a Provincial Manager (ASD) in the Health Promotion Unit. I remember the interview very vividly with the current acting HOD (Ntate Mpofu) as the chairperson of the panel, by then he was the only Chief Director for the whole Department.

I remember when he asked me where I stayed, and I said Three Rivers East in the Vaal and his follow up question was “which are those three rivers”? and I was like mara this one, what do those rivers have to do with the interview? The interview was tough, but I knew that I would make it because I know how eloquent, confident and articulate I am when it comes to me having to sell myself.

On the 1st of May I would have been in the Public Service for 35 years.

What was your first job?

After graduating from the University of Cape with a Bachelor of Social Sciences and Humanities Degree in 1986 I was lucky to get a job at the National Department of Health in Pretoria as a Community Liaison Officer, that was in 1987. The job queue was very short then unlike now where graduates wait for jobs for years on end. Thereafter, I attained post graduate qualifications in three other universities and School of Public Health. You see, I have always been a community and a peoples’ person hence I am where I am today, serving the people of Sedibeng.

PHIRI

What is the one thing you would say has been the highlight of your work throughout these years in the department?

I must say that when the corridor concept was introduced, the office space in the South Corridor was situated in a very dodgy and unsafe place in Vereeniging town. I made a deal with myself that by the time I retire, I would have secured a very habitable and decent office space for the corridor. I then realised that there was a newly developed office building in town and then requested the department to consider it as an office space for the corridor. It wasn’t easy but the facility unit was greeted by my e-mails every morning in the quest to persuade them to secure that office space. Eventually they gave in because I wasn’t accepting no for an answer. Today I must say the staff in the South Corridor are the most comfortable when it comes working in a conducive environment. That is why they remain the best at least in my view.

I also played a very crucial role in the re-engineering of the hubs. When I started, they were about 64 and now they are 27. Each Municipality is a hub now with a few satellite hubs which makes more sense.

How do you prefer to start your day?

I must start my day with a cup of tea. I am the last child of three at home, so I spent most of my time with my parents who loved their tea. Now that I am so blessed to be a gran, I must then get my grandson “Kabo Warona” who is three years old ready for creche, yes, that’s my Pumpkin, the apple of my eye and of course thereafter I head to the office.

What is the one thing you would like to see change to improve working relations in the department?

Communication and communication throughout the whole Department from top to bottom. Usually, one learns about changes in the department by chance especially when it comes to SCM as well as line functions from the Head Office. I also feel that the hubs and staff there need to be on top of the Departmental agenda as they are the backbone of the Department. They are on the ground and make the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, without them there is no Department.