HEALTH MEC GOES ON THE LONG WALK FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

It was at the crack of dawn and the Northern Cape’s Health MEC Fufe Makatong was on the move and sweating it out in promoting a healthy lifestyle. In contrast to the sleepy surroundings, hordes of charged up health walk fanatics from the department came out in support of the MEC’s call.

They got to gird their loins at the site of convergence; Kimberley’s Horse Shoe Motel and down Memorial Road, soldiering pass the Honoured Dead Memorial into Oliver Road, bending into MacDougal Road and back – totaling five kilometres. NCNN.LIVE trekked the health walk which was themed “I choose to be active.”

MEC Makatong: “Today is World Move for Health Day as initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). We are promoting nutrition, healthy lifestyle and physical activity which includes amongst others brisk walking, dancing, aerobics, housework, gardening and washing your car.”

MEC Makatong made it to the finish line with absolute ease. “It was quite exciting to see officials responding in such huge numbers. We would want to encourage more people and not only officials of the Department of Health but everyone.

“If you keep yourself healthy, you increase your days and hours of life and you minimize the possibility of taking medication for illness and sicknesses. We have got a continuous wellness programme at Kimberley Hospital Complex (KHC) on a daily basis. Join us today at four o’ clock,” said the MEC energetically.

The department’s National Health Insurance project manager Mariette Eckard, endorsed the initiative. “This is the way to go if you want to better your life. I support the campaign and I hope the public can join us. I do cycling and aerobics which keeps me healthy.”

Also noted in the group was KHC porter Anthony Kgano who was featured on ETV’s South African Hero for his selflessness in having initiated the Aerobics Club for the Department and patients at KHC.

The MEC’s spokesperson Lebogang Majaha added in a statement that the department will be conducting various activities promoting healthy lifestyles in all districts of the province throughout this month.

“According to the South African Medical Research Council, cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in the Northern Cape at 24 percent and respiratory disease at seven percent.

“It is proven that the benefits of physical activity amongst others; enhance blood flow from the brain and reducing the risk of stroke, improves blood cholesterol levels, help to manage high blood pressure, alleviate stress and improves the following – ability to sleep well, heart muscle function and reduce the complications of diabetes.”

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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).

One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.

As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.

Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.

Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..

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Fufe Makatong World Move for Health Day