The Department of Community Safety together with MEC Faith Mazibuko held a panel discussion about people living with disabilities and albinism recently at Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Johannesburg City Hall recently. The engagement symbolises November as the month of disability awareness and people with albinism were the majority of the attendees, they used the platform to expressed their dissatisfaction to the MEC and the South African Police Service (SAPS) about the challenges they receive from the society.
Stakeholders who attended the panel discussion included Col Lekganya from SAPS, Lesego Mothupifrom the Department of Home Affairs, Nomsa Ramathibela representing Ikhaya and Nomasonto Mazibuko from Commission for Gender Equality. People complained about service delivery they receive from the SAPS and how their cases are not attended immediately by police officials.
MEC Mazibuko engaged with the attendees as she vowed that the Department will protect people living with albinism and disabilities, and urged the police to defend vulnerable community members. Challenges highlighted during the engagement included parents not having birth certificates after giving birth, as Home Affairs would request parents to provide evidence proofing to be the biological parents of their new born.
People with albinism expressed how they are isolated from the society as traditional healers would believe using someone with albinism’s body parts will bring luck. Disabled people also requested the SAPS to cater for them as they feel disabled people are not represented in public facilities.
“We shouldn’t be scared as people with albinism and we shouldn’t live in fear, we are grateful that the MEC is supporting people with disabilities. We encourage people today to protect people with albinism and treat us as equals as we are the same with abled bodied people,” said Nomasonto Mazibuko.
By the end of the panel discussion distinguished speakers provided solutions and promised to attend to people’s needs and assist to provide birth certificates, as this is a major issue for people living with disability. The Department of community Safety will be celebrating and creating awareness of disability and albinism throughout the month of November, and community members are challenged to change their perception of people living with disability.
