Tshwane councillors schooled to handle workplace drama

Tshwane councillors recently gathered to be schooled on how to handle workplace conundrums caused by community and family members.

The awareness campaign was held outside the at Tshwane House council chambers through the office of the chief whip councillor wellness ambassadors to benefit the councillors’ health.

The campaign was aimed at addressing critical matters surrounding depression, anxiety, rape and suicide.

Wellness ambassador councillor Rose Maake said: “We have councillors who are weak and some strong.”

Maake said as councillors, they would on a daily basis deal with different people from various wards.

She said a few councillors would often find themselves being affected by residents or situations in their communities leading them to an unhealthy state of mind.

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“Some councillors think of taking their lives or become heavily depressed.”

Maake said this led them to miss work and this programme was aimed at intervening in such situations.

“This platform was provided so councillors know where to go to for assistance.”

She said this programme also assisted councillors in directing communities suffering through similar issues to the correct organisations for assistance.

Organisations such as Lifeline and the South African depression and anxiety support group (SADAG)held their exhibition at Tshwane House to assist councillors.

“These organisations are more than willing to assist councillors within their wards where their services are required,” said Tshwane strategic planning and councillor performance management specialist Geraldine Metlhape.

Metlhape said the city worked with organisations such as SADAG and Lifeline as they were more than willing to assist and engage rigorously with councillors.

“Lifeline Pretoria offers free face to face counselling services across 52 categories in five community centres around Pretoria – Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Queenswood and Watermeyer.”

She said there was also an independently-managed rape crisis line ran by a trained rape counselling team.

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Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said more needed to be done as such programmes were not as effective as they could be.

“The problem is if your workplace is toxic you will get depressed. If women are treated in a different manner to men due to gender you will find depression.”

Muller said more support was needed.

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