The audio is in isiZulu. See the English summary below.

MABUTHO: Ngokombiko wenhlangano iCancer Association of South Africa, okuyinhlangano ezimele engekho ngaphansi kukahulemeni, umuntu oyedwa kwabane kuleli uphathwa isifo se cancer. Lombiko walenhlangano uqhuba uthi minyaka yonke lesisifo sibulala abantu abangaphezulu kuka 80 000 kuleli. Cishe kungaso lesisizathu esenze lenhlangano yaqopha iCD etholakala ngezilimu ezine zakuleli ephendula yonke imibuzo ngalesisifo. Ongumqondisi walenhlangano, uSue Janse van Rensburg, uthi leCD abayikhiphile izosiza kakhulu ekufundiseni ngalesisifo – ikakhulukazi ngoba abantu abaningi abafuni ngisho ukukhuluma ngaso ngenxa yokuthi siyisifo esesatshwayo.

SUE JANSE VAN RENSBURG : To be diagnosed with cancer is a very frightening situation and people don’€™t have the answers. They actually feel out of control. So, what is important about these kits is that people now can listen to other people. All questions that they ever thought of (about cancer), they can go and listen to’€¦ this CD. They will get answers.

MABUTHO: Le CD esihloko sayo sithi ‘€œCancer coping kit’€ ingama CDs amabili ebhokisini elilodwa kanti inezihloko ezine ezikhuluma kabanzi ngalesisifo. Phakathi kwazo lezizihloko kukhona ezichaza kabanzi ngokuthi siyini isifo se cancer, indlela yokusilawula lesisifo, ukubaluleka kokudla ukudla okufanele kubantu abanalesisifo kanye nokuzifundisa ukuphila naso. Kanti uJanse van Rensburg uthi njengoba le CD ineminingwane ebalulekile ngalesisifo izosiza kakhulu ekuthenini abantu bakwazi ukusinqoba uma sebazi kabanzi ngaso.

SUE JANSE VAN RENSBURG: Cancer can be beaten. But most of all, we must learn how to manage the disease. And when I am diagnosed with cancer I need to know what to expect and how to live with it’€¦ Know what cancer is about. Realise that you can prevent cancer by reducing your risk, living a very balanced life.

MABUTHO: UBev Du Toit uphila naso isifo se cancer. Kuthe ngasekuqaleni kwalonyaka washonelwa umama wakhe ngenxa yecancer yamaphaphu (lung cancer). Njengamanje ungomunye wamavolontiya aqwashisa ngalesisifo. Kanti nguye ongu Producer wale CD ekhuluma kabanzi ngalesisifo. Uthi ukholwa ukuthi ukubakhona kwayo kuzolekelela kakhulu ekuhlomiseni labo abanalesisifo secancer ukuba bazi kabanzi ngaso ukuze balwisane naso. Uthi ukusho lokhu ngoba naye uke wabhekana nenkinga lesisifo sifuna ukulawula impilo yakhe kodwa ekugcineni waphumelela ukuthi kube nguyena osilawulayo.

BEV DU TOIT: Cancer does have the ability to rob you of your life. Suddenly, I was not Bev anymore. I was a cancer patient and I felt disempowered’€¦ And the cancer coping kit, I think, it gives back the sense of control because it gives them knowledge.

MABUTHO: UDu Toit uthi umyalezo angathanda ukuwudlulisa emphakathini ngalesisifo ukuthi kubalulekile ukuba abantu bangasivumeli lesisifo ukuba silawule izimpilo zabo.

BEV DU TOIT: You don’€™t have to give your life to cancer. And I have known patients who have died of cancer but they never gave up, they never gave in to the disease, and I think that is very important.

MABUTHO: UThulani Zwane ungomunye wabantu abaguliswa icancer abebekhona ngesikhathi kuthulwa le CD. Uthi ukholwa ukuthi ukuba khona kwayo kuzoba usizo kakhulu kubantu abaphila naso ikakhulukazi ngoba abhalwe nangezilimu zesintu kubalwa isiZulu kanye ne Sesotho.

THULANI ZWANE: Mangicabanga mina ngicabanga ukuthi azoncenda kakhulu because one of their CDs’€¦ it talks about kumele wenze njani about icancer. So umuntu nomuntu uzokhona ukulalela ukuthi kumele enze njani uma ngabe aka understand.  

MABUTHO: Alinganiselwa ku 60 000 ama copy ale CD kanti ayatholakala mahhala kulabo abawadingayo ngezilimu ezine okuyiNgisi, Afrikaans, isiZulu kanye nange Sesotho. Kulindeleke ukuba esikhathini esifushane ukusuka manje kube khona nabhalwe ngezinye izilimi ezisemthethweni kuleli.

English summary

Coping kit for cancer patients

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has come up with a new strategy to empower cancer patients and their families. It has introduced a CD with relevant helpful information about the disease.

The CD – titled ‘€œCancer coping kit’€ – is available in four of the country’€™s 11 official languages, isiZulu, English, Sesotho and Afrikaans. The National Executive Director of CANSA, Sue Janse van Rensburg, says the CD will do much to help patients and their relatives learn more about the disease.

‘€œTo be diagnosed with cancer is a very frightening situation and people don’€™t have the answers. They actually feel out of control. So, what is important about these kits is that people now can listen to other people. All questions that they ever thought of (about cancer), they can go and listen to’€¦ this CD. They will get answers,’€ said van Rensburg, who is also a cancer survivor.

According to a report by CANSA, one in four adults is diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Furthermore, more than 80 000 South Africans die from the disease every year. However, Van Rensburg believes that these numbers can be reduced if people are more knowledgeable about the disease.

‘€œCancer can be beaten. But most of all, we must learn how to manage the disease. And when I am diagnosed with cancer I need to know what to expect and how to live with it’€¦ Know what cancer is about. Realize that you can prevent cancer by reducing your risk, living a very balanced life,’€ she said.

Bev Du Toit is a cancer survivor and a producer of the CD. She lost her mother, who died of lung cancer, earlier this year. She says in addition to providing much-needed education, the CD will also help patients to restore their self-esteem.    

‘€œCancer does have the ability to rob you of your life. Suddenly, I was not Bev anymore. I was a cancer patient and I felt disempowered’€¦ And the cancer coping kit, I think, it gives back the sense of control because it gives them knowledge,’€ said du Toit. ‘€œYou don’€™t have to give your life to cancer. And I have known patients who have died of cancer but they never gave up. They never gave in to the disease. And I think that is very important’€, she added.

Thulani Zwane is one of the cancer patients who attended the CD launch. He says the fact that the CD is also written in indigenous languages will make things easier for non-English speakers.

About 60 000 copies of the CDs have been produced. It is hoped that the CD will also be released in other languages in the near future.