Sister Hazel Moagi, a facility manager at the Clinical Forensic Medical Services Bertha Gxowa Care Centre, was named the 2025 Marilyn Lahana Caring Award Gauteng winner.

This is the second time she has received this recognition.

To many who walk through the doors of the Bertha Gxowa Care Centre, Moagi is a familiar and comforting presence, approachable, warm and known for her compassion.

Her colleagues describe her as embodying true care, making her a pillar of support for patients and staff alike.

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Winning the award again has reignited her dream of one day securing the national Marilyn Lahana Caring Award.

Moagi first learnt about the accolade when working in Limpopo, where her early nursing career took shape.

Since then, she has aspired to join the list of national Lahana awardees.

When the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) opened nominations for the 2025 awards, Moagi remained hopeful.

Denosa, the national nursing association representing and advocating for nurses across SA, encourages excellence and honours those who demonstrate exceptional dedication to the profession.

Her colleague, Sister Thulare Mokoena, nominated her, submitting the required portfolio of evidence of Moagi’s contributions and impact.

After nominations closed in July, Moagi awaited the outcome, and last Wednesday, November 12, she received the long-anticipated notification that she had been selected as a finalist and invited to the gala dinner.

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Moagi says this achievement fuels her to serve with compassion. It also brings her one step closer to her dream of the national award.

The 2025 Gauteng Marilyn Lahana Caring Awards were hosted on November 13 at the Magalies Manor Hotel and Spa.

Moagi described the moment they called her name as “magical”, recalling how excitement surged through her body as she walked to the stage to accept the award.

“This is my second Marilyn Lahana Award in Gauteng. I last won it in 2022. The last time, I finished in third at the nationals,” she said.

“This time, I was excited to receive the call to return to the nationals, because my wish is to win it nationally.”
She said being selected as a finalist again was fulfilling.

“The thought that I made it as a finalist was appreciated and humbling. I am going back again to represent the province in the nationals; what an honour. Of course, I am eyeing the big prize.”

The portfolio of evidence submitted with the nomination showcased her daily responsibilities and her extensive community work.

Her outreach efforts include door-to-door campaigns, school visits, awareness walks, early childhood development programmes and training sessions. She has also trained clinic staff on how to appropriately handle GBV and rape survivors.

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In addition to this, she has led several community projects, including Mandela Day initiatives, where she and her team donated care parcels in informal settlements, supporting a mother whose child was mauled by dogs and later succumbed to the injuries, a tragedy that affected the community.

Moagi is regarded as a dedicated community builder who strives to change lives one child at a time. In 2022, she launched a school uniform donation campaign, under the auspices of the care centre, which first benefited a learner from the Marathon informal settlement attending school in Katlehong. The project continued into 2023 and beyond, extending support to boys and girls at Leeuwpoort Primary School.

“We co-ordinate the donations with a teacher at the school,” she explained.

“Boys and girls receive full uniforms, and girls receive fully sponsored sets. For this project, we hope to attract more sponsors so we can expand our reach.”

A leader in her field and a passionate educator, the centre participated in the launch of the I Serve With a Smile campaign in Ekurhuleni in 2024.

She said she is humbled that the Denosa recognised her work, especially given that the award honours the legacy of Marilyn Lahana, a selfless nurse who died in the line of duty.

Moagi is no stranger to accolades. In September 2022, she received the Clinical Forensic Medical Services (CFMS) certificate of excellence for overall best performance and exceptional commitment to running campaigns in CFMS Gauteng. In 2023, the Bertha Gxowa Care Centre was recognised as a centre of excellence by Ekurhuleni health.

That same year, she was honoured with a top community leader certificate, recognising her work, her adherence to the nurse’s pledge, and her ability to remain steadfast in challenging circumstances.

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She was also named among the Top 50 nurse heroes of 2023, solidifying her reputation as one of SA’s standout healthcare professionals.

For someone who, in her words, “came from the trenches” of her village, Moagi has defied the odds. Her nomination among SA’s Top 50 nurse heroes confirms her status as a leading figure in nursing and an inspiration to colleagues and communities alike.

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From a young age, Moagi knew what she wanted to become. Nursing was never a passing interest; it was a calling. She recalls confidently telling her classmates in primary and high school that she would one day be a nurse. The dream lit a spark in her eyes, but the path to fulfilling that dream would prove far from easy.

After completing matric, Moagi faced her first setback when she was not accepted into any nursing college. She took a gap year in 1995, but refused to give up.

Her perseverance paid off in 1996, when she was accepted into the Gazankulu College of Nursing, now the Limpopo College of Nursing, at the Giyani campus, for a diploma in nursing (general, community, psychiatry) and midwifery.

“There, I completed my four-year diploma and graduated,” she said.

Her journey into the profession formally began in 2000, when the Mpumalanga Department of Health appointed her as a professional nurse at the Arthurstone Clinic in Buyisonto.

Two years later, she transferred to Thulamahashe Health Centre. In 2003, determined to broaden her expertise, she completed a B.Tech in Occupational Nursing at the Technikon Northern Gauteng, now the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). In August 2004, she moved to the Van Velden Hospital in Tzaneen, Limpopo.It was here, in 2006, that her career took a turning point.

“The former matron asked me to attend a workshop organised by the Department of Justice. The event focused on GBV and that’s where my passion started,” she explained.

“Soon after, sexual assault survivors began arriving at my office, and I found myself drawn into the delicate and critical role of supporting victims. This is where my journey into forensic nursing truly began,” said Moagi.

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In 2008, she applied for full-time study leave, and by the following year, was accepted by the department and the University of the Free State to pursue an advanced diploma in forensic nursing. She later added an advanced university diploma in health services management in 2014 under North West University.

The next year marked another milestone. In 2015, she left Limpopo to join Doctors Without Borders (MSF), working on its sexual violence and GBV project in Rustenburg, an experience that further deepened her commitment to vulnerable survivors.

Moagi later resigned from Doctors Without Borders and applied for a post in Gauteng. In November 2016, she was appointed as the CFMS Bertha Gxowa Care Centre manager.

She acknowledges that her journey has not been easy, and credits much of her strength and growth to the guidance of Dr Annah Mabunda, her supervisor and mentor.

“Dr Mabunda has been my pillar of strength and an incredible academic inspiration. She holds a PhD, and her leadership has shaped much of who I am professionally,” Moagi said.

She also thanked Thulare, who nominated her, and the staff of the care centre.

“A big thank you goes to all the staff. Tey are an ocean of strength and support. They have stood behind my vision for the centre and for our outreach work. Nothing we achieve is ever done alone,” she added.

Moagi also thanked the Germiston GBV Stakeholders.

“A big thank you also goes to the Germiston GBV Stakeholders, who always show up and remain committed to the work we do,” she said.
“Our relationship must continue to grow for the betterment of the community that depends on us,” said Moagi.