Two Young Lives Lost: MISA Calls on Parents to Listen Before It Is Too Late
NATIONAL: Two young lives filled with promise have been cut short, leaving grieving families, school communities and a nation confronted with the painful reality of teenage depression, cyberbullying and suicide.
The deaths of Reneiloe Monkhi, a matric pupil at St Anne’s Diocesan College in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, and 17-year-old Ashleigh Saville of Mitchells Plain have reignited urgent calls for parents, schools and communities to pay closer attention to the emotional struggles young people may be silently battling.
Reneiloe died on October 15 while writing her final examinations. Her school remembered her as a loyal, kind and gentle young woman who would “forever be a lady in blue”.
In Mitchells Plain, Ashleigh died on October 7 after months of alleged cyberbullying, according to her father, John October. He said private content had allegedly been shared without her consent by someone she trusted.
In the aftermath of his daughter’s death, her father made a heartbreaking admission that underscores the devastating consequences of hidden emotional pain.
“My daughter hidden her depression so well from me,” he said.
His words are a painful reminder that behind a child’s smile, silence or apparent normality, there may be struggles that even the closest family members do not recognise.
The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has extended its deepest condolences.
MISA Chief Executive Officer for Operations, Martlé Keyter, said the losses were heartbreaking and called for greater vigilance towards young people experiencing emotional distress.
“Our hearts break for these families. No parent should ever have to bury a child, and no child should ever feel so alone that they cannot ask for help,” Keyter said.
The tragedy also brings renewed attention to the dangers of cyberbullying, which can follow children into their homes through mobile phones and social media.
Clinical psychologist Clementine Dlamini, speaking to MISAtv, warned that young people face relentless pressure in the digital age.
“Bullying now happens at home online. It follows children home and they cannot get away from it,” she said.
Dlamini encouraged parents to help their children develop resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, while teaching them that failure is a normal part of life and that setbacks do not define their future.
According to figures cited by MISA from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), an average of 23 people die by suicide every day in South Africa, with approximately 20 attempts for every death. The organisation also cited a national mortuary study indicating that nearly one in seven unnatural deaths among teenagers aged between 10 and 19 is a suicide.
Support services in South Africa:
- SADAG Suicide Crisis Line: 0800 567 567
- SADAG SMS Line: 31393
- Lifeline South Africa: 0861 322 322
- Childline South Africa: 116 (toll-free)
If you are worried about a young person, listen without judgement, take their distress seriously and help them connect with trusted support.
- Ashleigh Saville, Childline South Africa, Clementine Dlamini psychologist, Martlé Keyter, MDNTV, mdntvlive, mdntvnews, MISA youth mental health, online bullying among teenagers, Reneiloe Monkhi, SADAG suicide crisis line, South African health news, teenage depression and cyberbullying South Africa, teenage suicide South Africa, youth mental health awareness
