A prominent Limpopo businesswoman has gone beyond her social responsibility by adopting Hayani Hospital, near Thohoyandou, in a bid to instill a sense of confidence amongst people with intellectual disabilities. Mrs Annah Magwaba of Magwaba Bus Service has been a parental figure for the intellectual disabled patients for the past three years.

She is the hand that rocks the cradle and her dedication was finally recognized in public by Limpopo’s MEC for Health and Social Development, Seaparo Sekoati, last week.

Magwaba occasionally holds parties for the patients and provides them with food and clothing. She also pays regular visits to meet and mingle with them. Last week, she dispatched two buses to take the patients to the Kruger National Park for an excursion as part of their treatment program through rehabilitation. She did all this with funds from her own pocket.

"I am not doing this for name or fame. It is the responsibility of Magwaba Bus Service to plough back into the community. We have the responsibility to love, care and give hope to mentally ill patients. As we celebrate our democracy, we must not forget that the intellectually disabled patients are part of our community. Mental illness is a chronic but manageable disorder that needs support service in the treatment programme through rehabilitation."

Magwaba says there is no medication that is tougher than keeping the patients company. "Our presence in the hospital makes them feel that they are special and we serve them with delicious meals to make sure that they are comfortable and free. When nurses enter the mental health care ward, patients see somebody coming with an injection or tablets but we are bringing hope, love, respect, praise, security, acceptance and a sense of belonging. Every person deserves dignity and he or she must be treated with respect. We need to make sure that our attitude is healing the minds of our beloved mental health patients. When we build, let us think that we are building forever and let it be such work that our descendants will thank us for it."

She added that she would never speak about the adoption of Hayani Hospital without mentioning the name of Elias Mathivha. "I would like to thank Mr Elias Mathivha, former Board Member of Hayani Hospital, for his talent, skills and wealth of experience in motivating me to adopt Hayani Hospital. We met several times and he never got discouraged because he is a visionary."

Magwaba urges other businesspeople to assist in confidence building among the patients in various hospitals. "I am making a call on all business executives to adopt certain programmes in mental hospitals throughout the country. I would also like to pass my gratitude to other stakeholders who have also assisted the patients at Hayani Hospital. These include Black Leopards FC, Thohoyandou Wimpy, Tshitshithe Funeral Undertakers, Mr D E Denga, Mrs P Mukatuni and Mr RT Mulaudzi."

The spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Development in Limpopo, Mr Phuti Seloba, says the department highly appreciates what Magwaba is doing because it benefits the whole community.

"The government alone cannot succeed but we need assistance from people like Magwaba who has the interests of the community at heart. We also note that there are other businesses that are extending their helping hands to the Hayani Hospital and we feel very proud of them. We further urge other businesses to follow suit because it is our collective responsibility to develop our society."