POLOKWANE – The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) expressed its disappointment and concern over the recent no-show by the departments of education and sport, arts and culture at the recent launch of the Provincial Month of the Disabled.
These departments did not attend the provincial indaba that aimed to assess the progress and challenges with the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities last year either.
SAHRC head of communications, Isaac Mangena, said, “They did not even send a representative or extend their apologies. This behaviour should tell you about the attitude we get when dealing with certain departments. We don’t know if this attitude extends to how they consider the rights of people living with disabilities.
“During the indaba, people living with disabilities specifically expressed their frustrations that they were not taken seriously”.
He said they were disappointed when government representatives left the indaba straight after they delivered their presentations, instead of interacting with, or listening to them.
In September, SAHRC commissioner responsible for disability rights and older persons, Bokankatla Malatji, spent a week in the province.
Following his visit, he expressed disappointment that institutions such as equality courts and special needs schools did not receive adequate financial support to effectively render services for people living with disabilities.
He visited four special needs schools in the province and said the teachers were not specially trained.
There was also a lack of resources and learning material, especially in Braille and access to buildings was not easy.
Hostels were also found to be dilapidated. Malatji said this was discussed with the department of education.
“Recommendations and promises were made,” he said.
He further said equality courts, which were meant to handle cases for people with disabilities free of charge, were not used because people were not aware that they existed.
Sport, arts and culture spokesperson, Kathu Sadiki, said the department had not received an invitation to attend the provincial indaba and that was why they had not attended.
He said the department took the plight of the disabled seriously and the department’s employment rate of people with disabilities stood at 2,8%.
Education spokesperson, Paena Galane, said the department did send a representative, a senior manager for schools, Dan Mabote, who did not give a presentation because he was not called upon to do so.
“The department is ready and willing to give a presentation at any time,” Galane said.
Mangena refuted Galane’s statement, and said the department was contacted several times to attend and do a presentation, but no one attended.
