Those who are suicidal as a result of clinical depression don’t want to die. They feel as if death is the only way to obtain the peace they’re so desperately seeking. It’s not because they are selfish/cowardly. This world doesn’t make it safe for those struggling to come forward.
Something serious is happening in parts of our communities and we can’t keep ignoring it.
No proper hygiene. No enforcement. And food is still being sold to the public.
This is a public health issue.
GRADE 3 LEARNER COMMITS SUICIDE
This is the heartbreaking story of Imibongo Ntamehlo, a Grade 3 learner from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. She tragically took her own life after enduring ongoing abuse and bullying from her classmates.
Reports say the kids would constantly mock her mother's situation and laugh at her for coming from what they called an "ugly home." They also made fun of her for never bringing a lunchbox to school and targeted her poverty in general. She kept complaining about the teasing, but it never stopped. In the end, the pain became too much, and she ended her life.
Soweto family seeks help to repatriate Thobile Tshabalala’s remains from the US
The family of 27-year-old Thobile Tshabalala is grappling with profound grief and financial strain as they seek to bring her remains back home from the United States.
Thobile, originally from Zondi, Soweto, passed away on June 8, 2025, in a hospital in Columbus, Ohio, leaving her loved ones in shock and despair.
Thobile had relocated to the US in May 2024 to work as an au pair, chasing a better future. However, her journey was marred by mental health struggles and job instability.
After parting ways with her host family, she briefly stayed with a friend in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to New Jersey, hoping to save enough to return home.
Tragically, she fell ill and became unresponsive during a video call with her family, who were later told she had mere hours to live.
The cost of repatriating Thobile’s body to South Africa is estimated at R130,000, an insurmountable sum for her family. Her mother, Nthabiseng Mnisi, described the ordeal as a “nightmare,” while her uncle, Kholekile, pleaded for public support to give Thobile a dignified burial.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds, with the family appealing for donations to ease their burden.
As the Mnisi family mourns, they hold onto memories of Thobile’s vibrant spirit and hope the mzansi community will rally to help bring her home.
Contributions can be made via the family’s crowdfunding page, details of which are circulating on social media.