Khorixas
Children with disabilities still endure the worst forms of social stigma, with many being reportedly hidden away at farms in the Khorixas constituency by their families.
Some people are apparently ashamed of their children’s deformities the Deputy Minister for the Department of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube was told during her visit to the area this week. According to Khorixas constituency councilor, Sebastian !Gobs some families take children with disabilities away from society and hide them on remote farms.
The deputy minister said for a long time people with disabilities were marginalised, but President Hage Geingob’s position is that no Namibian should be left out. Therefore, he created a ministry to cater especially for the needs of the disabled. Manombe-Ncube said she had come to hear about the problems that people with disabilities face and would see what can be done. Her delegation also met with disabled people at the Khorixas District Hospital.
“There are some families who take people with disabilities and hide them,” !Gobs said. “When vehicles approach the farms they hide them, but the local people are not forthcoming,” !Gobs said. He called on members of the community, who might be aware of such instances to report such cases and expose the culprits. “They [disabled children] need our assistance. I call upon the community to report such cases to the social workers,” he said.
!Gobs was also irked by the non-availability of wheelchair-friendly entrances at shops in his area, as well as churches and government ministries.
Government policy says all public buildings should make provision for wheelchair users and people with disabilities. !Gobs is, however, confident that businesses and other offices would heed government’s call to improve access routes and mobility for the disabled. Deputy minister Manombe-Ncube was also informed that the participation of people with disabilities in the Constituency Development Committee (CDC) and Constituency Aids Coordinating Committee (Cacoc) is subdued. “At times they will come for a meeting, but will not be available for the other meetings. At such meetings they are encouraged to voice their needs and concerns, as they are instrumental and part of these committees,” !Gobs said.
Manombe-Ncube praised !Gobs for including people with disabilities in committees at the constituency office. !Gobs noted though that most of the activities aimed at the disabled are held at the Khorixas District Hospital and the affected people might not be attending due to lack of transport. There is no official transport facility for the disabled and they were advised to make a written request so !Gobs can forward it to the Kunene Regional Council.
Disabled people in the region recently received a drip irrigation system donated by Heinrich Langer Uranium mine and will start a garden soon, but they need training, as well as a piece of land to start a gardening project, it was noted. This was apparently hampered by a lack of funds.
“It’s important to include people with disabilities. They need to air their grievances, to make their voices heard,” Manombe-Ncube said, and expressed concern over the absence of people with disabilities at such meetings.
Manombe-Ncube also visited Opuwo this week and will then travel to the Omusati and Zambezi regions to assess the situation.