No sign language translators in several public offices
October 4, 2022
Chrispen Tabvura
Choice News Africa
Bulawayo – In yet another lack of policy implementation exercise, several government offices and public offices including Police Stations, have no sign language interpreters, thereby prejudicing the country’s deaf community of honest and fair justice in the law process.
While the government of Zimbabwe, has been in power for the past42 years, there has not been meaningful recognition of millions of people with disability, as witnessed by the constitution sections of 1992, which were also amended in 1996, but with a few sections that truly serve the interests of people with disabilities.
“Our government has never been serious about our plight and predicaments. We have been treated as second class citizens, as you can see for yourself that there is not even five percent of people with disabilities in the government, let alone in our parliament.
We are regarded as useless beings, because even judging by the way the government has been appointing disability representatives, they are selected on political affiliation, far from social or practical system that is causing us to suffer and beg in the streets.
We have been oppressed and left to do cross border begging into countries like South Africa and Botswana, for basic survival.” Lamented Sekai Chekure who moves around the country in buses in search of basic upkeep.
It has also come to the attention of Choice News Africa during the Disability Advocacy Training workshop that was in Bulawayo recently that several government institutions like Police, Hospitals, Clinics, Banks, Passport offices, Prisons, and some of the public schools, to mention a few have no sign language facilities, thereby causing difficulties for Zimbabwe’s 16 languages implementation.
Memory Mandikiana, Programmes Specialist, and Elisa Ravengai, Disability Inclusion Specialist, carried out extensively researched presentations, which were outstanding for advocacy and information dissemination, for the majority of people with disabilities.
Government officials who were attending the disability advocacy training workshop, confirmed the anomaly, but were quick to defend themselves, as they were not in positions of authority, and promised to pass the information to their superiors for rectification.
“The recently held census was also affected by the lack of sign language issue, as several homes with speech impaired families were not properly recorded, due to lack of proper interpretation, in sign language,” said Esinath Simango.
Several government offices visited by Choice News Africa, after the Disability Advocacy training workshop, have no sign language interpreters, and could not officially commend on why and how their offices have no sign language facility, but constitutionally, sign language is part of the 16 languages spoken in the country.
Nkomwa Foundation Trust, a Gwanda based organization for people with disabilities, has been making tremendous inroads into villages and institutions, doing massive trainings in sign language and disability sensitization training activities, to help with the upkeep of people with disabilities in communities.
“We have covered a number of communities around Matabeleland South, in disability awareness and advocacy, but our main disadvantage is funding to do our full outreach for the exercise.
We are pushing very hard with our little and limited resources, but hoping one day, the gods will provide us with funds, so that we can fully cover all corners, with training programmes for the disability communities,” said Pic Nkomwa the founder of NFT.