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By OBAKENG MAJE

A mother of a mentally handicapped girl from Matlapaneng village in Taung, said she was left depressed after seeing a naked video of her daughter doing rounds on social media.

Keitumetse Marungwane said people should be sensitive before they could violate other people’s rights and dehumanize them. Marungwane’s daughter, Olerato (20) was seen walking naked in the streets at night and some of the residents accused her of witchcraft.  

“My daughter is mentally ill and I was so surprised to see her naked video on social media. On that day, Olerato left the house earlier wearing her clothes, but later on, we received a message that she was seen walking in the streets naked.  

“Olerato was never the same since the passing of her father in 2017. She started to show some symptoms immediately after the funeral on Saturday. However, we did not take it very seriously thinking that she might have been affected by the death of her father,” she said.

Marungwane said the situation got worse when Olerato showed a relapse of concentration at school. She said her daughter was doing Grade 11 at the time, but they could not do anything to assist her to get to her former self.

“Now, our community members know that she is not well and those who filmed her should refrain from distributing that video. Actually, we urge them to delete it because what they did was against the law,” said Marungwane.

North West Health department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said the department has strategic plans to provide quality and accessible mental health care services to the community of the province.

He said plans to reach the strategic goal of the department depend on the accessibility, facilities available for mentally handicapped persons, hospital beds.

“The strategic plan of the department is to provide quality and accessible mental health care services to the community of the province. Plans to reach the strategic goal of the department depend on accessibility, facilities available for mentally handicapped persons.

“On discharge of the mental health user, the family or guardian is empowered on the condition of the user and how to deal or observe any mood changes. There are two Mental Health Review Board appointed according to the Mental Health Care Act to safeguard the human rights of the mentally handicapped persons in the health facilities, as well as in communities,” said Lekgethwane.

He said as mental health cut across in every sphere is the responsibility of every department to collaborate with department of health to provide quality mental health to the people of the North West.

“There is also an established inter-sectoral committee consisting of key departments in mental health. We have the departments of Health, Social Development, South African Police Services, Justice and Constitutional Development, Correctional Services, and Education,” he said.

Lekgethwane said their term of reference is to support primary health care through consultations, training, and advocacy. However, he said the current situation in the province is that, only clinical psychologists were appointed for the four districts and one for Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati resigned in December 2020 and the province is unable to attract scare skill due its rural state.

“Each sub-district has a mental health coordinator to provide technical support to primary health care. So, to prevent discriminations and empower the community about the mentally handicapped person the department implemented health talks and dialogues about mental health are conducted in schools, community and health facilities.

Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it will probe the allegations. SAHRC provincial spokesperson, Adv Oarabile Gaoraelwe said: “The SAHRC is mandated to protect, promote and monitor human rights in South Africa. We work with organisations involved in the protection and promotion of mental Healthcare users (and in particular persons with intellectual disabilities).

“Our institution is also empowered to investigate allegations of human rights violations including allegations of discrimination against persons with intellectual disabilities. So, we will initiate a probe into the allegations, review the available evidence and then make a decision into whether we must investigate the matter or refer it to a better suited statutory or constitutional body.”

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