Times Of Swaziland: We are humans too - disabled

We are humans too - disabled
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BY CYPRIAN MAMBA  on 20/08/2013 02:18:00


NGEVINI – About 92 people living with disabilities under the Ngcamphalala
Chiefdom want traditional authorities in the area to recognise them as human
beings
They said this on Saturday during a meeting at Ngevini.
According to Chairperson of the Association for People Living with Disabilities
in the area, Sifiso Nhleko, the area has 92 people living with disabilities.
Challenges
The meeting was deliberating on the challenges faced by people living with
disabilities in the area. The area is within the sphere of development by
Swaziland Water Agricultural Development Enterprise (SWADE). People in the area
and surrounding areas have been empowered by SWADE through agricultural schemes
especially in growing sugar cane through associations.
What worries people living with disabilities under Ngevini Chiefdom is that out
of the 92 none of them were not included in the developments and yet they were
the ones deprived of many opportunities in society. They said they had hopes
that the empowerment by SWADE would at least benefit them.
“The chiefdom’s inner council has let us down as they have done nothing to
include us in the development yet they know that we exist. They have not
approved our involvement in the development. To which King do we belong, and to
which government do we belong? When we apply for jobs we are not employed
because of our conditions,” said Nhleko.
“Even during elections, I was not pointed when raising my hand intending to
nominate in all the categories at my chiefdom regardless of seating in a visible
place until I became tired and could raise my hand no more,” Nhleko continued.
“We request government to educate the nation about people living with
disabilities so as to avoid this prevailing stigma against us.  We request that
such educators must be other people living with disabilities like it usually
happens with some organisations of people living with HIV.  We are also human
beings and deserve to be included in development.  People without disabilities
treat us as if we are animals and government and development agencies do not
take us into consideration when implementing development. We also need resources
to survive.
We are, as an association of people living with disabilities, also requesting
for help from whosoever  to help us either financially or materially as we aim
at helping  people like ourselves earn a living in the area,” said Nhleko.