Distressed mother pleads for mental health facility in eMbalenhle

eMBALENHLE – Ms Sizakele Malinga (58) said living with a family member who has a mental illness can be stressful.

Her first born son, Mr Nsuku Malinga (35), has a mental illness and his condition does not give her peace.

Ms Malinga said it is time for the township to get its own mental health facility.

“I have sleepless nights when I think of what would happen the day we as parents of children with mental illnesses die?”

Ms Malinga said it is difficult to keep her son indoors or in the yard.

“I have reached the stage that it is difficult to deal with him.

“My son refuses to take the nurses’ treatment.”

Ms Malinga has admitted that her son was admitted to the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital and mental institutions in Bethal and Newcastle several times.

She is prepared to resign as the principal of the Shapeve Primary School to help establish a local mental institution.

Ms Malinga said this is not going to benefit only her son, but all people living with mental health illness.

“It is unsafe for people living with mental illness to walk around, because they sometimes get lost for as long as a year before they return.

“Some are raped and stoned by people because of their behaviour.

“I am worried because I have seen others forage trash bins and walking around at night.”

“The Khumbul’Ekhaya programme cannot help here, because people living with a mental illness do not watch television.”

Ms Malinga has written to several government departments, private companies, churches, mines, educational institutions and the local municipality to help establish the facility.

The Echo and the Ridge Times did notice people with mental health illness foraging trash bins at various shopping centres.

Ms Mari Louw from the South African Federation for Mental Health said: “We can most certainly help with the establishing of an assisted living facility at eMbalenhle.

“We also have a need for that.

“We currently have two houses in Pullenshope that were donated by Eskom where we take care of psychiatric patients.

“We also think it is in the interest of each patient to be as near as possible to home.”