The Tobeka Madiba Zuma Foundation, founded by Thobeka Madiba-Zuma, First Lady of South Africa, recently hosted a Spring High Tea at the Mahlamba Ndlopfu  Official Residence for the President of the Republic of South Africa, Pretoria, where Siboniso Dlamini, fourth-year Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics student at DUT was also in attendance.

This event followed the First Lady’s return from China in search for potential donors for the Foundation. The occasion was also aimed at celebrating people who have played fundamental roles in the foundation as well as to thank them for their contributions and encourage future involvement.

The event was attended by academics, artists, business women and well influential women who have done well for their respective countries and the world at large.

Thanks to Dlamini’s research on breast cancer, she was able to rub shoulders with other elitist women in the country. Her research focussed on the difficulties faced by women living in rural areas who are affected by breast cancer. “My research was about interventions and awareness about breast prosthesis for cancer survivors in rural areas. My findings were that women in rural areas have very limited resources and knowledge about cancer, let alone the prosthesis. Some believe that they are being bewitched. They need permission from their husbands who work far away to get tested for breast cancer. They can’t just have their breast removed without consulting the elders of the family which happen to be men and if they do not agree she will not have the surgery which may be lifesaving. Clinics also are too far and most of the women are not working which means that by the time they get treatment, the cancer has developed to the last stage. There’s also a stigma around breast cancer that it only affects women so men are not treated early or at all because it it’s perceived as a ‘woman’s disease’,” said Dlamini.

She mentioned that she is currently working on a breast prosthesis which will be cheaper yet efficient. Currently, the cheapest one costs R5000.

–          Siphephelo Sibiya

Pictured: Thobeka Madiba-Zuma, First Lady of South Africa, with Siboniso Dlamini, fourth-year Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics student at DUT, at the recent Spring High Tea hosted by the First Lady’s Tobeka Madiba Zuma Foundation.