What We Can Learn From The Mahlahla Case Of Mental Illness
By Brilliant Pongo | I have followed the sad story of the Mahlahla family from a distance and observed with sadness how most Zimbabweans ridicule issues of mental illness.
Our obsession with making fun and joking about serious issues does not help, that compounded by gossip and trying to make every story juicy only serves to entrench the stereotypes around cause of mental illness and only convolutes our grasp and understanding of what otherwise, would be simple issues.
Stigmatization of mental illness isn’t something new. Marginalization of people with mental illness has been going on for years in Zimbabwe. What makes it worse is how we focus on trying to fix mental illnesses by spiritual means as opposed to medical interventions.
Many Zimbabweans hold strong beliefs about the causes of mental illness, such as demonic possession, magic, the wrath of a deity or moral punishment. Such beliefs provoke reactions of fear, mistrust, and discrimination.
Is it any wonder therefore that Zimbabweans went into overdrive with lurid and cruel comments on social media following the sad story of the Mahlahla family from Chitungwiza.
Support not ridicule
When someone has a physical illness like cancer, diabetes or even a broken leg, we rally around them and offer support. And rightly so. Research has shown that having a strong support network can promote resilience and help people manage stress during difficult times.
So why is it that when someone is struggling with mental illness, from the mildest to the most severe forms, rather than offering support, we throw out comments like “the mother knows what she did,” “Just throw her in jail she is evil,” or “A lot of people have it worse than you”? This glossing over real mental health issues can be emotionally damaging and can do much more harm than good.
The Mahlahla family particularly Mrs Mahlahla and her son Grant need help not the ridiculing and criminalisation that they are now faced with.
A more compassionate and reasoned approach to this case would be more appropriate.
Mrs Mahlahla seems to me like a person that has for long been ostracized and viewed as an evil person not only by her immediate neighbours, but relatives as well. From the comments made by those in her neighbourhood, one can see why she would be wary of all people, relatives, in-laws, and neighbours.
Her association with an Apostolic church it seems only made her more peculiar and most likely compounded her situation.
A difficult life
She had a mentally unwell son, her husband very unwell and wheelchair bound after suffering a stroke. Her other son is said to have died. Unfortunately, in a society like our own in Zimbabwe such tragedies attract gossip and stigma as one is labelled a witch and all sorts.
No doubt Mrs Mahlahla’s live must have been difficult never mind her reclusive character.
Nonetheless, it is important to try and understand this story from an objective angle without getting caught up in the drama and gossip that some people on social media platforms have been churning up.
From the presentation thus far, without seeking facts one would think she kept a decomposing corpse in her house and kept her mentally ill son in the ceiling in her house.
But when one seeks for the facts and timeline of events objectively. It soon becomes apparent that Mrs Mahlahla was away at a church meeting (sowe) for a week.
The locksmith’s account
Sadly, her husband died whilst she was away. Indeed, many will ask why she left him without a competent care-giver, but her mentally ill son?
But then again don’t know and can only assume that perhaps the church meetings or prayer sessions (sowe) were her way of getting relief and a break.
She came back to find that her mentally unwell son (Grant) had locked her out of the house. She had to call for a local locksmith to help her regain access to her house.
Based on the account of the locksmith, which in my view shades-unadulterated-information that helps us to understand this story.
Upon gaining access to the house several objects had been strategically placed from the inside to block anyone trying to enter. The assumption is that this was done by Grant.
Clearly there is no way Mrs Mahlahla could have done this herself. The locksmith reports that on opening the bedroom door Mrs Mahlahla was shocked at finding her husband had died.
The locksmith further states that Mrs Mahlahla immediately enquires about her son.
He had a room
Contrary to the sensationalized claims that her son Grant lived in the ceiling. Grant had his own room. He apparently went up into the ceiling to hide either when his mother came back with the locksmiths or when police came.
The close relatives to the husband who were allowed in on the few occasions have confirmed that Grant had his own room.
The way in which the Mahlahla story has been reported/covered by the media and how it has been told on social media platforms is a cause for concern.
Indeed, our attitudes towards mental illness must change as a nation and A’s communities within society in our country (Zimbabwe).
The Mahlahla case must serve as an opportunity for us as a people and country to reflect on the ways in which we can contribute to our understanding of mental health and address the general wellbeing of people in communities nationally. To this end, health workers, community leaders at all levels local government to central government must participate in a drive to address Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context and provide professional development to promote mental health and best practice in the Zimbabwean context. With focus given to addressing stigma in particular.
We must stop stigmatization
Indeed, stigma takes many forms in communities in Zimbabwe. Often involving extreme prejudice and discrimination. Within more traditional/spiritual communities, these may relate to the perceived reason the person has difficulties, the influence of forces beyond that person’s influence, such as being vulnerable to the intentions of others who may wield supernatural powers, and in some instances, to witchcraft.
People with mental illness suffer from the effects of their condition. However, their suffering is made much worse. Through the attitudes and prejudices of people around them and the larger community. Where the community stigmatizes their suffering and extends their prejudice to not only the person who is suffering but such prejudice may be extended to the whole family.
We must learn lessons from this Mahlahla case and come out a better people.
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Brill is a media enthusiast, with a passion for telling the story and packaging and propagating narratives right.
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