It has been over a year since the passing of Songezo “Madiba” Mjongile. He died from colon cancer on the 17 September last year.
The former ANC provincial secretary in the Western Cape died at 47. Those who knew Songezo describes him as someone who was a “political animal” and “tireless leader” who lived his life to the fullest.
To continue with his legacy, the Mjongile family has started Songezo Mjongile Foundation (SMF) to honour him. The SMF officially launch will take place at Haughton Hotel on 23 November 2021.
The event will honour the late Songezo, whose life and fight against cancer remains a motivation.
According to Songezo’s wife Humile Mjongile, who is the spokesperson for the family describes Songezo as someone who was free-spirited, loving, caring for his family and everyone around him.
Humile encourages everyone especially males to take care of themselves and to be cognizance of their health issues.
“It is important to educate ourselves that if you are consistently sick, don’t ignore the symptoms and stop diagnosing yourself. Take action quite early and consult with a doctor or specialist because you might never know how severe your illness may become in future,” she warns.
She says as women when we notice symptoms to our husbands, we must take action and encourage them to go for screening and early detection to save lives.
She admit that losing a husband a father to his two children was the most difficult time of her life.
“But my relationship with God kept me strong and see me through in my darkest moment. I have learnt that family support is crucial when you are going through life challenges. I was never alone,” she says.
Humile adds that cancer is still taboo in our society and it is time to start having conversations and educate each other and most importantly to raise cancer awareness.
“The most lessons learnt is that it is vital to support the sick person and the caregiver emotionally and mentally. People who take care of the sick ones, sometimes they also become sick and they die first, especially if they aren’t getting enough support because [you] literally forget about yourself as a caregiver.”
The mission of the Songezo Mjongile Foundation (SMF) is to support and collaborate with disadvantaged communities who have overlooked the overall effects of cancer in our society.
The foundation aims to demystify the myths and remind people that cancer is a multifactorial disease that could be triggered by genetic mutation, environmental risks and lifestyle factors.
The education needs to intensify and as such the SMF aims to drive cancer prevention by promoting awareness, early detection and treatment for those affected
About Author
