'All races suffer from stress'

Clinical psychologists and a Zulu cultural expert have punched holes in President Jacob Zuma's claim that stress is a "white man's disease".

Zuma said stress was a foreign concept to Zulus.

At his 75th birthday bash in Kliptown, Soweto, Zuma said Zulus did not have stress because it did not exist for Zulu people.

The president even said there was no Zulu word for stress.

But a cultural expert has said Zuma is wrong.

"Yes, there is a Zulu word for stress. It's called ingcindezi and then a person can explain what kind of stress they are suffering from," said retired University of KwaZulu-Natal lecturer and cultural expert Ndela Ntshangase.

"So, the existence of the word means that there is stress."

Ntshangase said stress could manifest itself in various forms, depending on what type of stress a person suffered from.

"Even with us, when someone has stress, it means that they are under pressure," he said.

Ntshangase said he did not know in which context Zuma said there was no stress, "but if he was saying there is no stress generally, which I do not believe that's what he meant, there is evidence for stress".

"If someone is sick, they have stress that they are sick. Some people even take a decision to kill themselves because of stress," he said.

It is not the first time Zuma has referred to stress as a white people's disease.

In January last year, at the send-off of 19 students with bursaries from the Jacob Zuma Foundation, he said if he listened to his critics he would have "that disease white people call stress but I don't have it because I know better".

Dr Nkini Phasha, board member of the SA Depression and Anxiety Group, said Zuma's utterances were "unfortunate".

"This sort of narrative contributes to fuelling myths around mental illnesses. This also fuels a stigma and it sets us back as a country," he said.

"It further sets us back as we attempt to educate and empower our people when it comes to dealing with stress and accessing the professional help they require," Phasha said.

Clinical psychologist Ingrid Artus said stress was not a condition exclusive to one race group.

"In my practice I have seen people from all walks of life who suffer from stress and stress-related issues. I can assure you that all race groups experience stress," she said.