Zanele Cekiso
Health and Safety/Women in Uniform
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Project Name/Description:
Quality Assurance Coordinator – SEAD Consulting
Zanele “Nurse Zee” Cekiso is a fierce health-ivist and registered nurse. Nurse Zee holds a post-graduate diploma in HIV management from Stellenbosch University and works as quality assurance coordinator at SEAD Consulting. She regards transitioning to civil society as her biggest highlight.
“Civil society aligns so much with my personal purpose of serving marginalised communities and advocating for the voiceless.”
Nurse Zee has built a solid online presence, using influential platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube to disseminate health information around HIV/Aids and doing personal consultations. She has earned the “Nurse of the People” endearment from her followers. Technology, she says, has enabled her to serve people from all over the world. “I have had consultations with patients in countries like Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia,” she states, adding: “I have gotten people to test, start treatment and adhere to treatment through the use of technology.”
Nurse Zee constantly agitates for transformation in the healthcare sector, calling for tolerance of youthful energy. She is committed to sparking difficult conversations in the public health space. She defines her personality as one of leadership, assertiveness and confidence.
“I will bring forth uncomfortable conversations pertaining to our practice as nurses and midwives in this country.
“We will not wait for litigations to happen before an issue becomes an issue at hand.”
