16 Oct 2023

You can help prevent suicide by fostering hope through compassion and understanding, Superintendent Tuelo Komanyane of Mahalapye Police said Friday, during the commemoration of World Suicide Prevention Day held here. He said suicide was a silent pandemic that transcended borders, and affected people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. 

Among its many cause were relationship/marital issues, unemployment, loss of loved ones/property, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Giving suicide statistics for Mahalapye District he said they registered 24 cases last year. So far eight cases had been reported to them this year. All was not lost though as suicide was preventable, he said. 

“Suicide prevention is a cause that we can collectively address through understanding, compassion and tangible efforts”, he said adding doing so strengthened mental health which was critical in building the will to live. 

He said there was need to break stigma around mental illness, to create an environment where individuals felt safe to seek help, as many were struggling silently, owing to the stigma. 

“Secondly we must educate ourselves and communities about warning signs of suicide: recognising the signs and knowing how to respond can make a difference between life and death, by providing early intervention,” he said. 

Supt Komanyane said there was need to advocate increased access to mental health services, which should include crisis helplines. Furthermore, he encouraged all to offer hope by speaking kindly, listening and providing other forms of assistance to those likely to want to commit suicide. 

“Each one of us has power to make a difference, so let us stand together in pursuit of a world where every life is valued,” he said. 

For his part, Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe of Mahalapye said suicide was an issue of concern and cases were increasing at an alarming rate. 

He said while the suicidal went through many challenges, people often made the mistake of assuming they were not in their right frame of mind. Kgosi Tshipe said the suicidal may show signs they were planning to kill themselves, but people generally failed to pay attention. 

“We have to create hope for such people and try by all means to ensure that situations that may lead to suicide are avoided,” he said. 

Mahalapye DHMT community mental health coordinator, Ms Gabaitsane Letlaamoreng said they hoped, by commemorating the day, to sensitise the community about suicide prevention, ensure collective action to address public concerns about it and to share with the community available resources on suicide prevention. 

Mahalapye District Health Management Team organized the day celebrated under the theme the theme: Creating Hope Through Action. ends