The DSK Group, a non-profit organisation on the North Coast, recorded seven suicides since Monday.
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The communities of Phoenix, Tongaat, and Verulam have witnessed a surge in suicide and attempted suicide cases, attributed to unemployment, financial difficulties, and a range of relationship issues.
The DSK Group, a non-profit organisation on the North Coast, recorded seven suicides since Monday.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), a private security company, responded to six calls on Tuesday alone.
Prem Balram, the head of Rusa in Verulam, said that of the six cases, one person died, and two of the five survivors attempted suicide in front of their children.
“The cases included hanging, slitting of wrists, and shooting. Of the six, one person died by hanging in Verulam. We were concerned about the high rate of suicides and suicide attempts for that one day.
"One resident tried to hang himself in front of his minor children, while another slit his wrist in front of his child. Factors such as relationship challenges, financial strain, substance abuse, and unemployment have contributed to the suicide attempts."
Daniel Chettiar, the founder of the DSK Group, said one woman attempted suicide by hanging after discovering her husband was having an extramarital affair and had impregnated his girlfriend.
“Financial issues and unemployment are also driving people to kill themselves. Adults are sending spouses away with children and committing suicide because they cannot deal with their problems. We had to call the police to intervene in a Ballito man's suicide attempt where he tried to shoot himself. We cannot handle those types of situations,” said Chettiar.
He said that six of the seven people were unemployed.
"We have employment programmes, but they are for gender-based violence victims. We do not have the capacity to offer it to everybody. But we have our psychologist speak to the person. One man told us he could no longer live because he was overindebted and could not cope financially.
"In some cases, the high cost of living caused residents to lose everything and become unemployed. The reports of homelessness are unreal. People are losing everything and sleeping on the streets."
Chettiar said it was vital that support groups united and formed a support database to counsel those in need.