Trigger warning: this article contains information that alludes to self-harm and insinuations of suicide.
A man jumped from the Merriman Bridge in Stellenbosch on Thursday, 8 October, according to captain Nathalie Martin, from Stellenbosch SAPS. The man survived the incident, however SAPS could not reveal his identity and current whereabouts.
Devonecia Swartz witnessed this incident. She told MatieMedia that “the man was sitting over the right lane on Merriman Street”, holding onto what looked like a rope and looking as though he was going to jump off the bridge and onto the road.
SAPS received a call in their operational room from a member of the public at approximately 16:30, alerting them of the man sitting on Merriman Bridge, said Martin.
Once SAPS arrived at the scene, one of the police officers moved their vehicle closer, upon which the man landed, Swartz said.
Campus Security and ER24 were also present on the scene, said Martin Viljoen, Stellenbosch University spokesperson.
In such instances, people are usually taken to Stellenbosch Hospital’s emergency centre for assessment and evaluation, said Sandra Maritz, the Cape Winelands communications officer for the Western Cape Health Department.
According to Sandra Maritz, Cape Winelands’ communications officer for the Western Cape Health Department, mental health is a priority throughout the year for the Western Cape Health Department. PHOTO: Unsplash/Anh Nguyen
Resumption of mental healthcare services
Currently, the easing of lockdown restrictions has enabled healthcare centres to gradually return to normal operating capacity, in terms of their mental healthcare offerings, Maritz said.
“With lockdown regulations being scaled-down and Western Cape Government Health [Department] calling on the public to again take up essential healthcare services, we are seeing an increase in demand for services in general,” she said.
The Western Cape Government offers free mental healthcare services, which Stellenbosch residents may access at all primary health care facilities within the Stellenbosch region, said Reginald Greeff, a psychiatric nurse in the Stellenbosch sub-district of the Western Cape Health Department.
“As the impact of the pandemic affects more than a person’s [physical] health… we anticipate that more people who experience symptoms like anxiety and depression will come forward,” Maritz said.
While there are free mental healthcare services available, the supply does not meet the demand for the services, according to Janine Roos, director of the Mental Health Information Centre at Stellenbosch University. INFOGRAPHIC: Masego Mafata