Shakaskraal nurse among special guests at SONA

Shakaskraal Clinic nurse, Primrose Goge was one of the special guests who enjoyed a high tea with president Jacob Zuma yesterday.

The president hosted the guests at his Genadendal home in Cape Town.

According to the presidency website, every year the president invites special guests to acknowledge the good work that they have done, the high tea is held on the eve of the State of the Nation Address(SONA).

Goge’s skill in the clinic led the KZN health MEC Sibusiso Dhlomo to make a special visit to Shakaskraal Clinic last November, to thank her for her keen ear – that picked up a rare life-threatening problem in an unborn baby, Smangaliso Ntetha.

Goge picked up the problem when the mother, Thandazile Ntetha, came to the Clinic for a routine check-up when she was 28 weeks pregnant.

“I listened to the baby’s heart using the fetoscope and that is when I realised something was wrong,” she said.

The heartbeat was irregular and Ntetha was referred to Stanger Hospital where the ultrasound confirmed that what Goge heard was indeed a problem.

This was not just any problem but an extremely rare fetal cardiac condition, so rare that there have been only 22 other cases reported worldwide.

The condition is seen in only one in 300 000 pregnancies.

“I am so happy to be one of the guests who had high tea with the president. I actually did not believe my eyes when I saw him (Zuma) arriving. I pinched myself and asked the other guests if it was really him,” said Goge.

She said this is one of the best moments of her life and she was also happy to see the minister of Art and Culture Nathi Mthethwa.

The Kranskop born woman will be among the distinguished guest at the SONA today.

Other guests will include the family of struggle stalwart Oliver Tambo, as this year marks the commemoration of the centenary of his birth, Umkhonto WeSizwe (MK) struggle veteran and former member of Parliament, general Ike Maphoto, the family of the late international musician, Dr. Miriam Makeba – also known as Mama Africa – as well as the family of women’s rights activist and struggle veteran Mama Dora Tamana, female entrepreneur of the year (Agriculture, Forestry and Farming) winner, Venecia Janse, Mogau Seshoene, who is the founder of The Lazy Makoti, a cooking, retail and culinary school startup, and the executive director of the Albinism Society of South Africa and Commissioner in the Commission for Gender Equality, Nomasonto Mazibuko.

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