News

Unpacking mental health stigma

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2023

Have you ever wondered why mental health is so complex to understand and to work with? I can think of a ton of reasons, specifically language used and attitudes towards mental illness.

I went on a word search for this week’s column. I enlisted the help of friends from various parts of the world. The intention was to establish whether it is a Lesotho specific challenge or if Language used for mental health has a negative connotation in other countries.

Lehlanya in Sesotho, Lewany in Pashto, Khon-Bah in Thai, Batard’’ (Tu es con ou quio?) French, Maluco/Maluca in Portuguese, Louco in Spanish, Were in Yoruba, Kichaa in Swahili, etc.

The sense I got when talking to my friends is that if you go around addressing people with these terms, you are likely to get a beating based on the negative connotation that they carry. This poses a big question of whether individuals can willingly declare their mental illness without being at risk of the stigma it comes with.

I regard the stigma to be rooted in that which people do not understand, not the mental illness itself.

Mental illness is hard to describe, its symptomatology is not physical like it is the case with communicable diseases. Imagine going to a doctor and saying “There is something not right in my head.”

This can be interpreted in so many ways. There is no blood work that can be done, whereby the results indicate a high level of Schizophrenia that requires a change in diet or adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Mental illness is as complex as the neural network that communicates messages to and from the brain. We have excused ourselves from trying to understand factors at play by casting out those that live with mental disorders, a scapegoat that has worked for many years.

You ask yourself, not everyone that lives with a mental disorder faces stigma. Some are supported in their mental health journey. You would be absolutely correct in thinking this way.

Interestingly, stigma is multidimensional. It can also be self-imposed because the person living with the mental illness struggles to deal with the difference in personality, behaviour, physical appearance, illness, and overall functioning. Also, the stigma can come in the form of how other people react towards the person battling a mental illness.

They are faced with stereotypes and prejudice that result from misconceptions about mental illness. On one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disorder. Mental health stigma can be a barrier to treatment. Mental health stigma operates in society.

It is internalised by individuals and is attributed by health professionals.

Here is a double edged sword of how stigma can look like. Thandi is married to Thomas (pseudonyms).

They have been together for ten years and are blessed with two children. Thomas gets a tat bit angry every now and then and as a result he “Lays his hands on Thandi” multiple times in one week. Thandi starts wearing excess make-up to hide the bruises and discoloured skin. This continues for approximately seven years until Thandi starts stonewalling, acting like being assaulted is a norm.

She does not cry anymore. She just sits there and takes her beatings in a true “Mosali o ngalla motseo” style. Thomas finds more aggressive ways to enforce the abuse, to get a reaction out of his wife. Unfortunately, a beating coupled with strangulation sends Thandi to the hospital after she stops breathing.

Thankfully, she survives and is discharged after four days. She goes back home to a sorrowful Thomas who promises to change his ways. However, this is short-lived which results in Thandi’s head getting banged against a wall, resulting in a stroke, impairment of speech, and low functioning.

This is an example of a woman who cannot seek help since it will portray her as a victim of abuse.

This is someone that struggles to seek mental healthcare because “ase lehlanya.” The word lehlanya is too narrow to showcase the unique presentations of how mental illness looks like from one person to the next.

Thandi’s experiences with violence can bring about TBI, PTSD, depression, GAD, etc. How would we determine this? Through creating a safe space for her to talk about the trauma she has experienced while using language that does not continue to victimise her.

It would also require a non-judgmental attitude, one that does not ask why she did not leave. It would require attitudes that are uplifting and empowering.

Ask yourself this, if you were to seek services for your mental health; what would you say when you arrive at a provider’s office? In other parts of the world, it is everyday language to be “on the Spectrum or have ADHD.”

As long as there is stigma attached to mental illnesses as well as negative attitudes towards those that are living with mental illnesses, ours is a journey without a destination.

Contrary to widely held beliefs, homeless people do not all have mental disorders. Not every homeless person has Schizophrenia. Not every homeless person is lehlanya as we tend to loosely use the word.

If we only focus on this group, we risk missing men in suits and ties, students faced with modern day challenges. We risk missing women in tight pencil skirts and six inched heels. We risk missing the grannies in the villages experiencing dementia and rapid decline in their cognitive abilities.

It is not always boloi as we tend to conclude.

Why does it look like mental health is characterised by hesitancy to openly talk about the things that stress us and affect functioning? The hesitancy is seemingly brought about by fear of being judged, treated poorly, as well as negative attitudes from others.

Language is important, it can produce desirable behavioural change if it is used resourcefully. One of my former Professors once said, “Understanding how to influence behaviour requires a better understanding of the social context.”

Until Next Time!

The writer works as a psychotherapist. She holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. She has certifications in Global Health Delivery, Policy Development & Advocacy in Global Health, Leadership & Management in Health, as well as Fundamentals in Implementation Science.

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

6 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

6 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

6 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto