The University of Zululand’s (UNIZULU) Employee Relations and Employee Wellness Office recently hosted the 2025 Employee Wellness Day, a meaningful initiative designed to refresh, recharge, and refocus attention on staff health and wellbeing. The event featured a variety of engaging activities, including wellness sessions, health checks, interactive discussions, and opportunities to relax and connect with colleagues.
The event was graced by the presence of senior leadership, including Professor Xoliswa Mtose, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UNIZULU; Professor Vuyokazi Nomlomo, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning; Thabo Ngcobo, Executive Director: Human Resources, Thabo Lebakeng, Director: Employee Relations and Employee Wellness, and the guest speaker Dr Nozibusiso Nyawose, Director of Psycho Consultancy among others. Their attendance highlighted the university’s commitment to cultivating a supportive and health-conscious work environment.
In his welcoming remarks, Ngcobo emphasised the significance of the event, describing it as a key fixture in the University’s annual calendar.
“I would like, in these welcoming words, to acknowledge the incredible work that each and every one does to support our collective success,” he said. “Your wellbeing is essential to our institutional success, and such days give us an opportunity to talk about how we can prioritise wellness in every aspect of our daily lives. It’s not just a work-related matter—it goes way beyond that.”
Ngcobo further highlighted the critical importance of wellness, not only as a personal responsibility but as a shared institutional value that contributes to the overall productivity and morale of the University community.
Wellness Day, according to Prof Mtose, is not merely a performance-driven spectacle, but rather a meaningful step toward addressing stress and promoting wellness. It reflects the University’s commitment to genuinely caring for its employees and prioritising their well-being.
“This day is a collective affirmation and affirmation of well-being is not a temporary concern,” the Vice-Chancellor stressed.
She encouraged staff members to prioritise their well-being, reminding them that each person plays a crucial role in the success of UNIZULU. She also reassured them that it’s perfectly okay not to feel okay all the time.
In her powerful address, guest speaker Dr Nyawose highlighted the importance of honest conversations around mental health. She pointed out that many people respond with “I’m okay” when asked how they are, not because they truly are, but because they feel too shy or uncomfortable to express their real emotions.
For the doctor, mental health alone does not define overall well-being. True wellness, she explained, includes being physically, emotionally, and psychologically balanced, and being able to meet life’s demands without feeling overwhelmed.
Reflecting on historical misconceptions, Dr Nyawose recalled a time when psychiatry falsely claimed that black people did not experience mental health issues. She illustrated this by engaging elder staff members, some of whom acknowledged the existence of mental health struggles, while others still held onto outdated beliefs.
She stressed that mental health encompasses serious conditions such as depression, which have long been overlooked in communities of colour due to a lack of specialised support. Even today, she noted, when a child expresses feelings of depression, some parents respond dismissively — saying things like, “How can you be depressed when the fridge is full?” — a mindset that contributes to rising suicide rates.
Dr Nyawose powerfully stated, “As Black people, we are products of trauma.” She explained that this trauma stems from experiences such as growing up without parents, surviving sexual abuse, or being harmed by caregivers. Because mental health was historically denied in black communities, many have normalised these painful experiences.
To clarify her message, she offered a compelling definition: “Trauma is not necessarily what you have gone through as a fear; trauma is how you perceive things now.” She explained that many of our actions today are trauma responses.
When asked where we currently stand in terms of mental health awareness, one staff member responded: “We are in between,” citing confusion about how to interpret past experiences such as harsh discipline in the context of today’s freedoms. Dr Nyawose agreed, noting that times have changed, but unresolved trauma still influences parenting. She referenced a recent tragedy in Cape Town, where a mother fatally beat her six-year-old child, an act she described as a trauma-driven response.
The guest speaker concluded by urging everyone to treat mental health with urgency, stressing that healing and self-awareness are essential steps toward personal and collective well-being.
This being a day to promote wellness, staff members also participated in activities such as aerobics, yoga, tug-of-war, and other exciting games. There was also a powerful performance by renowned gospel artist Jumbo, adding a spiritual and emotional touch to the day’s celebrations.
– Sbahle Dumakude
Pictures: Samkele Sokhela
Captions:
Pic 1: Professor Xoliswa Mtose, UNIZULU Vice-Chancellor and Principal with guest speaker Dr Nozibusiso Nyawose.
Pic 2: Some healthy competition as staff participated in a game of tug and war.
