Overview

Diabetes: The Load Shedding of our Health is a powerful call to awareness, responsibility, and change, and a voice for those who have suffered in silence. Dr Manenzhe delivers a deeply human and unflinchingly honest account of one of the greatest health crises of our time. Drawing from years of engaging with healthcare professionals, people living with diabetes and the general public across South Africa, in rural clinics, township health posts and over-crowded urban hospitals, this book reveals the hidden cost of diabetes beyond blood sugar readings and prescriptions.Using the metaphor of load shedding or a blackout, Dr Manenzhe illustrates how diabetes quietly deprives the body of energy when education, access, and support are lacking. Diabetes strikes silently, gradually dims lives, and often causes devastating damage before it is recognised. Through the personal stories of mothers, grandfathers, teenagers, nurses, and communities, the book demonstrates that diabetes is not a disease confined to wealth or age, but one found in villages, townships, and cities alike.Combining medical science with compassion and social insights, this book goes beyond diagnosis to address poverty, broken systems, lack of education, stigma, and silence. It's not a book of despair, but one of responsibility and hope, meant to be shared, discussed, and taken into communities. This book is a movement to break the silence, because remaining silent is no longer an option.

Full Product Details

9781049211169

Table of Contents

Reviews

As a paediatric endocrinologist, I spend much of my life at the bedside of children and adolescents whose lives have been changed overnight by a diagnosis of diabetes. I have seen the fear in the eyes of parents who are suddenly handed a syringe, a glucose monitor, and a new vocabulary that includes insulin, hypoglycaemia, and ketoacidosis. I have watched families grapple with the reality that diabetes does not take a day off - not for birthdays, exams, holidays, or weekends. This book could not have come at a better time. Diabetes: The Load Shedding of our Health is a call to action that speaks to every South African family, whether in our villages or our cities. Dr Manenzhe's analogy of load shedding is powerful because it captures the sense of disruption and vulnerability that so many of my young patients face when their blood sugar level swings out of control. Just as our national electricity grid needs careful maintenance and planning, so too do our bodies - and the earlier we start, the better. For children living with diabetes, knowledge is not just power - it's freedom. This book equips parents, teachers, and communities with the information they need to recognise symptoms early, support those affected, and advocate for a health system that makes insulin, education, and care accessible to all. I was particularly moved by the poetry at the end of the book, which gives voice to emotions that so often go unspoken - fear, frustration, and hope, as well as resilience. The verses remind us that diabetes is not just a medical condition, but a human story that touches hearts as much as it tests bodies. I hope this book will help readers understand diabetes, and inspire them to fight for a future in which no child's potential is dimmed by a preventable health complication. Together, we can keep the lights on - in our homes, our schools, and our bodies. Dr Michelle Carrihill Paediatric Endocrinologist

Author Information

Dr Rendani Innocent Manenzhe is a Medical Scientist born in Madadzhi village in Limpopo, South Africa. From humble beginnings, he has grown into a passionate advocate for lifestyle transformation and health equity, adding a powerful and compassionate voice to South Africa's growing conversation on non-communicable diseases.Dr Manenzhe graduated cum laude in Medical Science from the University of Limpopo before earning an MSc in Medicine and a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of Cape Town. His doctoral research earned numerous accolades, including top-scoring abstracts, best oral presentation awards at international congresses, and recognition from the Rudd Family Foundation's Big Ideas in Global Health initiative. His work led to the discovery of novel outcomes in the field of infectious diseases through collaborative projects around the world, demonstrating a profound commitment to advancing global health through scientific research.But for Dr Manenzhe, science alone was never enough. Following a career break, his journey took an unexpected but meaningful turn. Drawn by compassion and the realities he witnessed in everyday life, he began looking beyond the laboratory - travelling across South Africa and beyond, engaging with healthcare professionals, the general public, and communities in hospitals, clinics, homes, and churches. These encounters deepened his understanding of the human side of health, and continue to shape both his advocacy and his writing.

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