PRETORIA
The Department of Social Development says it has made psychosocial support available for South African citizens who are struggling to deal with Nelson Mandela’s passing away.
Mourners can call the Command Centre for Gender-Based Violence* – a 24-hour call centre for victims of gender-based violence staffed by trained social workers and hosted by Vodacom.
South Africans experiencing difficulty in dealing psychologically with Madiba’s passing can call 0860 004 015 to speak to a professional counsellor.
The service is available 24 hours a day.
According to the department, the special service – which will be available during the ten-day period of mourning – will assist individuals by preventing distress and suffering developing into something more severe and help people cope better and become reconciled to everyday life.
“Social and shared experiences caused by disruptive events such as death, a sense of loss and feelings of helplessness may have severe psychosocial consequences if not attended to immediately. Tata Mandela was dearly loved by all South Africans and the effects of his passing on our society cannot be underestimated,” said the Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini. – SAnews.gov.za
Post-traumatic Mandela disorder
At the weekend, Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini made a 24-hour command centre, meant for victims of gender violence, available to the public to deal with Mandela’s death.
The centre, a joint initiative with Vodacom, has 66 social workers.
Dlamini said: ” Experiences caused by disruptive events such as death may have severe psychosocial consequences if not attended to immediately.
“Tata Nelson Mandela was dearly loved by all South Africans, and the effects of his passing on our society cannot be underestimated.” Dlamini’s spokesman, Lumka Oliphant, said they have yet to collate figures on how many people have been assisted. Call 0860 004 015
“While the world mourns Nelson Mandela, some South Africans are so grief-stricken that they have not gone to work since the news broke. They are simply not coping.
That is why the Department of Social Development has offered a helping hand and has opened a 24-hour Mandela hotline for those who are battling to come to terms with the icon’s death.
Even though the former statesman had been gravely ill for months, it still took many by surprise when he died last week.
Speaking to The Witness yesterday, spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said the department was meant to launch the gender violence hotline for victims of abuse on Tuesday.
But because of Mandela’s memorial service, the department had held back on those plans.
“Minister Bathabile Dlamini saw it fit to open the line during the 10 days of mourning to those who are battling to come to terms with Mandela’s death.
“There are people that couldn’t even go back to work when they heard that [Mandela] had died,” said Oliphant. “We’ve made this service available for them to get assistance,” she added. Oliphant said they are working with Vodacom. There are currently 66 qualified social workers including “veteran social workers” who are waiting to take people’s calls. The department is still going to announce and unveil the gender base violence hotline soon which will have a different number.
If you need counselling, call the 24-hour Mandela hotline at 086 000 4015. — WR.”
Support line for Mandela mourners
The department of social development is offering psychological support to those who are struggling to deal with Nelson Mandela’s death.
The department said in a statement it had made its command centre for gender-based violence – “a 24-hour call centre for victims of gender-based violence staffed by trained social workers and hosted by Vodacom” – available specifically to help those who are grieving Mandela’s death and need support.
“The special service, which is available during the 10-day mourning period declared by President Jacob Zuma, will assist individuals by preventing distress and suffering developing into something more severe and help people cope better and become reconciled to everyday life,” the department said. Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said Mandela was “dearly loved by all South Africans and the effects of his passing on our society cannot be underestimated”.
The hotline number is 0860 004 015 and is permanently staffed by a professional counsellor. It is open 24 hours a day.
* AfriGIS is a solution partner on this project.
