Former EFF Western Cape Chairperson and ex-member of National Assembly Bernard Joseph has shared how he fought to survive after his 170 kilogram weight nearly killed him.
Today, Joseph has shed close to 70 kilograms and even managed to jog for the first time in decades, a day before his 59th birthday.
For decades, Joseph has been fighting for the rights of people as a prominent member of the ANC, COPE, EFF and the now the Good party.
But between 2019 and this year, he had to fight the biggest fight of his life, that of surviving while his weight was killing him.
At his heaviest, Joseph could no longer use the toilet and avoided walking to shops.
It had been the overwhelming support of his family, including his sisters who are trained nurses and in-laws who are also in the medical profession, that pushed him to change.
While the world was facing a global pandemic, Joseph found himself crippled by his weight.
His organs began to fail and he suffered a diabetic coma, almost dying if it was not for the quick-thinking of one of his sister’s.
Joseph had been a high blood sufferer and diabetic.
Today, he manages to walk 3.4 kilometres daily.
Joseph had been planning to relocate to Grabouw after receiving land but his health took its toll.
He landed in hospital after falling while attempting to use the toilet, and remembers the embarrassment and realisation that he had to change his life around.
“I had to use the toilet and when I went down, I fell, and then the challenge began for me to get up and those medical teams that came were given the suggestion to place me onto a blanket and roll me.”
Joseph, who is divorced and has two children, decided to relocate back to his hometown Gqeberha with the help of one of his sister’s.
“I became very weak in 2021 and was in and out of hospital, I thought it was my heart and I struggled to walk,” he said. “I told myself I need to get out of here after the man next to my bed died.”
Then his life flashed before his eyes and he went into a coma.
“I became very weak and told my sister, who is a nurse in the trauma unit,” he said adding, “my blood sugar level was 1.5.
“I went into a coma and my sister began giving me sweet things to eat and called colleagues for medical assistance and equipment because she said she could not move me and that the journey to the hospital would kill me.”
Joseph said his sister had a serious talk with him, encouraging him to change his eating habits.
“She introduced me to the Banting diet and told me what was good for me to eat and not. The problem was, I enjoyed eating and didnt know when to say no.”
“I am grateful to my family for everything they did for me,” he added.
He began slow walks around the house and his greatest triumph was jogging for the first time when he began shedding the weight: “It was a day before my 59th birthday and I challenged myself to jog with a family member of mine.
“I began feeling healthier and started walking 3.4 kilometres a day and I used to avoid walking even to the shop.
“Now I have the desire to walk more and I love it.”
Joseph said he still had a passion for politics and the community: “I have registered an NGO called Phoenix Community Safety Foundation, which will look at uplifting, especially the youth.
His sister Gaynor Jo, said she taught her brother about changing his lifestyle and eating habits.
“Bernard is fortunate in this season of his life, that all three sisters are medically trained. The point of support was needed, he came to me after his hospitalisation. I must be honest, I would have wanted him to go about this years ago because the conversation was always there.
“The emotional zone was the critical zone, that setback brought him to a standstill that something must change. He changed his approach to his health.
Eating habits, he realised were important: “I believe that ill health can be treated with our lifestyle and eating habits also.”
The EFF said they could not comment as Joseph was no longer a member, “however, we wish him all the best on his health recovery process and political journey. May he live long enough to see and experience economic freedom in his lifetime.”
Janke Tolmay, Media Manager for the Good Party said: “Unfortunately we’ll not be commenting on the personal life of one of our members.”