“Queen Namane Leads Call to Honour Nurses Who Hold Communities Together”
Retired Mamelodi nurse urges investment in the next generation as community celebrates International Nurses Day
Retired nurse Queen Namane stood at the heart of this year’s International Nurses Day celebration in Mamelodi, reminding the community that the country’s health system is built on the shoulders of nurses whose service spans decades.
Speaking at Stanza Bopape Community Hall, Namane said the event was dedicated to honouring both current and retired nurses for their “years of dedicated service, passion and care” to local communities.
Namane emphasised that today’s nurses continue to uphold the values of Florence Nightingale and other nursing stalwarts through mentorship, compassion and professional excellence. She highlighted the importance of investing in initiatives that inspire young people to pursue nursing, saying such efforts “help build the academic future of our children” and strengthen the profession for generations to come.
She also wished the organising team continued “prosperity, growth and success” in its mission to empower communities and improve the nation’s future .
A celebration of visible — and invisible — labour
The ceremony, hosted by the Vhathu Phanda Community Forum, brought together current and retired nurses, as well as community health workers (CHWs), to recognise their often‑unseen labour in homes, clinics and hospitals across Mamelodi.
Forum chairperson Thabo Moshabelo said the awards were a reminder that the work of nurses is “visible and valued” by the community and health‑care partners alike. He noted that nursing remains “high‑stress, low‑resource work,” and that public recognition helps reduce burnout and reinforces professional pride.
Moshabelo also praised retired nurses who continue to serve through forums such as the Mamelodi Retired Nurses Forum, saying that their partnerships with local organisations restore hope and trust in the health system for many families.
Community health workers are hailed as the system’s backbone
Community health worker Puseletso Modiba honoured both nurses and CHWs for their frontline work, describing them as “the backbone of the health system”. She highlighted the daily realities of CHWs who walk through communities in harsh weather, reaching frail patients, elderly residents, relapsed patients and newborns who have not returned to clinics since birth.
Honouring a lifetime of service
The event also paid tribute to retired nurses for their lifelong commitment and continued voluntary service. “We see your past service, we value your present role, and your contribution still matters,” Moshabelo told them.
For Queen Namane, the day was not only a celebration of the past but a call to action for the future — a reminder that the legacy of nursing is carried forward when communities recognise, support and invest in those who care for them.
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