11 Mar 2025

The Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Augustine Nyatanga, says research has revealed that someone who is engaged in aerobics is rarely affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

 Nyatanga was giving the keynote address last Friday  during the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services’ wellness day. The occasion was held at Off-Road Extreme at Matebele village.  

Nyatanga said it was important for everyone to take the responsibility to know the status of their bodies, adding that it was better to suppress the disease before it becomes difficult to deal with.

 “Nowadays several diseases are mushrooming within people's’ bodies thus I urge you to be very cautious to avoid falling sick due to diseases that you could have prevented. 

We have been imparted with knowledge on how to diagnose some of these diseases,” said Nyatanga. 

He cited a Setswana adage that goes, ‘bodiba bo jeleng ngwana wa mmaago e re o bo bona o bo dikologe’ directly translated as ‘forewarned is forearmed.’ He highlighted the tendency of ignoring precautionary measures stipulated by the health experts, poor dieting, failure to do acrobatics and unhappy lifestyles hence he urged people to be very observant of these aspects.

Nyatanga added that health was not just feeling well but it takes a healthy mind to conclude that you are healthy hence the mental state should be in a contented state.

“Mostly importantly, I plead with you to try to love one another in the workplace, I mean just Godly love. As we meet at work, we may not be related but love must bind us all to be in accord and enjoy work. We must be united and see each other as brothers and sisters," he said.

"Research shows that people spend most of their time at work and this is crystal clear in the sense that you wake up early in the morning and leave home around 6am and return in the evening around 7pm.  It is therefore an obligation to try to create a family in the work environment so that you see each as one team,” said Nyatanga.

Furthermore, Nyatanga cautioned that people should avoid going to clinic at the 11^th hour because it was indicated that treating diseases was costly than preventing them. He said the inclusion of wellness days in the workplace served as an opportunity for workers to bond. 

“Exercising does not need two hours but that small time that you use gymnastically is enough. Your body needs to at least be active at one moment in a day and that is a good thing because if you ignore it, you experience early aging where people will misconstrue your look for being older than your actual age. “Therefore, I plead with everyone to develop a habit of exercising their bodies. You can exercise through dancing at church. If you are at home dance to the music as research also emphasises that dancing exercises the body wholly,” Nyatanga revealed.

The assistant minister also encouraged people to take care of each other to the extent that if they see a colleague ailing, they should encourage that person to visit a clinic to get clarity on the status of their health. He said this could possible if people have bonded with each other.

Nyatanga said government provided free health services hence people should not be dying yet there were health facilities that they could utilise.

Nyatanga encouraged people to eat healthy foods such as mosutlhwane as prescribed by health practitioners.

He also urged supervisors to loosen up and engage with junior officers to create harmony in the work place.

 “We cannot do this wellness day and yet as we get to work, we continue with the same negative attitude towards one another. Sometimes people think it does not matter to greet and check on a fellow employee’s situation,” said Nyatanga.

For her part, the Chief Nursing Officer at Kgatleng DHMT, Boineelo Moalosi, gave a lecture on NCDs. She said NCDs were most associated with high blood pressure and sugar diabetes, but the circle embraced all sorts of cancers, obesity, kidney diseases, lung diseases and mental illnesses.

 Moalosi said there was a common belief that NCDs were genetic, but research indicated that NCDs were lifestyle diseases.

“In Botswana, the most nerve-wracking diseases are cancerous ones; cervical, breast and colon cancers. Colon cancer nowadays is tops. We used to hear about these diseases from other countries but nowadays they exist in our society because of our unhealthy lifestyles,” she noted.

She said in Botswana 27 per cent or more deaths were caused by NCDs and affect mostly the youth. 

Ms Moalosi encouraged people to prioritise good diet. She said most people who die due to NCDs in Botswana were males. 

“Nine hundred and thirty-four per 100 000 of deaths are from males whereas 703 per 100 000 are females. This is because men are always lagging behind when it comes to going for clinical checkups whilst women are always eager to know more about their health status,” said Ms Moalosi. ENDS