The hot war and a warm heart: Sister Mahlangu establishes Ekuphumuleni Geriatric Home

Cultural Heritage

Pathisa Nyathi

AS the liberation war intensified, more and more people abandoned their homes in rural areas and flocked to Bulawayo for its relative comfort and tranquility. Though the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZPRA) waged urban guerrilla warfare in both Salisbury (now Harare) and Bulawayo the situation in urban centres remained relatively peaceful.

It was a situation reminiscent of that in the late 1950s when Bulawayo’s mayor Councillor J H Butcher was prompted to say, “There has been a tremendous flow of Africans into the city during the last few years due to our enormous expansion and the development of the industry.”

Cessation of hostilities in 1945 (World War II) witnessed industrial boom in Bulawayo. There was heightened demand for industrial and related labour. Townships such as Njube, Mabutweni, Iminyela, Mpopoma, Sidojiwe (flats in the industrial area) Pumula and Pelandaba were built to house the workers. Increased urban population led to increased demand for health services. Bulawayo municipality operated some municipal confinement centres where expecting mothers delivered and stayed there for a while as there was running water and electricity. Meanwhile, the Southern Rhodesian government built Mpilo Maternity Hospital which started operations in 1950. Mpilo General Hospital was still to be built.

In the final years of the 1970s increased influx into Bulawayo placed a serious strain on Mpilo General Hospital which had been commissioned by the Government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. One response to the health delivery challenges in that period was to discharge the elderly patients prematurely. Some were in wheelchairs and others walked by means of crutches. They were being released into the care of relatives in the crowded townships. The relatives were neither trained nor were they always available to look after the sick and the elderly. Mpilo General Hospital then prioritised younger workers.

In the morning schoolchildren left to attend school while their parents went to work. The sick elderly were left to their own whims. It was a pathetic situation that touched the warm heart of a nurse who worked at Mpilo General Hospital. Her name was Mrs Poliyanah Mahlangu (nee Mnkandla) who joined Mpilo Maternity Hospital in 1950 after doing her nurse training at the McCord Hospital outside Durban. The hospital was run by the American Board Mission.

Mrs Mahlangu had for a very long time been concerned about the fate of the elderly that were released before they were fully recovered. It was a concern she shared with her follow nursing sisters “Colleagues, let’s not be content with getting salaries. Let us do something about the plight of the elderly,” said Mrs Mahlangu to Sisters Rosina Mayobe who too had trained in South Africa and Tendai Khumalo, Memo Khumalo’s wife.

Indeed, from time to time the three charitable ladies made financial contributions that they forwarded to Jairos Jiri and Thembiso. During tea break her fellow sisters, upon seeing her approach would say, “Nangu sefike loya.” There she comes to pester us on her passion. The idea of doing something to alleviate the plight of the elderly never deserted her. Mrs Mahlangu conveyed the idea to her husband Peter Sivalo Mahlangu, a leading educationist.

“Please do not destroy our extended family,” responded Mr Mahlangu somewhat not amused. He was referring to the way elderly people were looked after in the olden days. The African extended family cared for the elderly and the sick.

“No my dear, I am talking about the elderly who are being prematurely discharged from Mpilo General Hospital. I am at a loss as to how I should proceed with this idea that is burning within me.” In those days one pastor who used to undertake house visitations was Reverend Enoch Musa. One day she called on the Mahlangus who lived in Luveve. Mrs Mahlangu opened up to Reverend Musa. “I am thinking of setting up a convalescent home for the elderly.”

“Yes, I hear you MaMkandla, but that would be a drop in the ocean. You have to seriously consider food for the inmates, provision of water and electricity to the centre,” said the bespectacled Reverend Musa.

“No, Baba, let’s not be daunted by the task,” said the indefatigable Mrs Mahlangu. The Reverent Joshua Danisa had also been brought into the loop.

“Then let’s think of three names each and come up with a total of six. When we have got the six together we shall then create an ad hoc committee to spearhead the project. Then Reverend Musa came up with two names, Leonard Nkala a primary school headmaster and Nicholas Mabodoko, then mayor of Bulawayo. Before Reverend Musa departed he suggested the names of Sister Rosina Mayobe and Sister Tendai Khumalo. Mrs Mahlangu then rang up Dr Michael M Ndubiwa who was Bulawayo’s Town Clerk, the first black to hold such a position.

“Let us choose a date when we can bring them together for the initial meeting,” suggested Reverend Musa.

“Thank God. Now we are on the right track!” exclaimed the elated Mrs Mahlangu. The 15th of December 1987 was suggested as the date for the inaugural meeting. Mrs Mahlangu then rang up Memo Khumalo to request that they host the meeting. All invited persons assembled at the Khumalos’ residence. Reverend Musa opened the meeting and quickly handed over to Mrs Mahlangu who carried the vision for the proposed project. She spoke passionately and eloquently about the problems being faced by the elderly sick who were being discharged from Mpilo General Hospital before they had fully recovered. “They should be given three months for convalescence after which they may then be discharged,” appealed Mrs Mahlangu.

“They ought to be looked after by trained personnel,” added Mrs Mahlangu. Then the town clerk interjected, “Reverend Musa, but she is telling us without any piece of paper to support what she is saying. We do not operate like that. Let’s have a survey which will give us figures of persons in need of the facility. Let’s give her five weeks to undertake the survey and come back to present her findings.”

Mrs Mahlangu was bamboozled and totally perplexed. Survey, she knew nothing of that sort. Total confusion and some sense of dejection reigned supreme in her mind. “I felt as if my heart was in my toes,” she says, as I write like one possessed. Overwhelmed with and blown by confusion concerning the survey and how on earth she was going to come up with one as demanded by the learned town clerk, Mrs Mahlangu went to Mpilo General Hospital and was walking along the corridor.

With her worry deeply etched on her face, she met Dr Rahman who asked her, “Mrs Mahlangu, what is wrong with you?” She solemnly began to narrate the whole story of what was in her mind and the survey that was required.

“Well, that’s a good idea, so what’s the problem?” asked Dr Rahman.

“I do not know what a survey is, let alone how to conduct it”

“Worry no more, Sister. We are there to assist. We will conduct the survey for you in my three medical wards.

After five months Dr Rahman arrived at her office and briefed her on the survey results. “There are 49 old people in need of extra nursing care. I have written a covering note.” The extremely elated Mrs Mahlangu immediately took the survey results to Reverend Musa.

“Let’s call our next meeting!” said Mrs Mahlangu. The second meeting was duly held at the Khumalos’ residence. Subsequent meetings were held at the Rapt (TB) offices. Mrs Mahlangu read the survey and the first person to respond in the affirmative was the town clerk. “Baba Musa, I will draft the constitution,” said Dr Ndubiwa.

The sky was clear, all hurdles had been cleared. Ekuphumuleni Geriatric Home was set to be born.