Lentswe, Klerksdorp - The SA Deaf Association wants to highlight the plight of deaf people where after thirty years of democracy very little has changed.
Ntshema Molebeleli calls himself a deaf legend and a fighter for human rights. He paints a dark SA where the government is celebrating thirty years of democracy, but it has nothing to do with its citizens, especially the deaf community as sign language is not implemented in government departments and interpreters at police stations, clinics, municipalities and hospitals don’t exist.
He is aware of families of deaf people who are taking their Sassa cards and withdraw their grant without consent.
“Some parents still hide deaf children. These children don’t attend school. Deaf people are also harassed by speaking people whilst sign language is an official language.”
According to him, deaf people face so many struggles such as no signs on the road for deaf pedestrians, the traffic department don’t care about the deaf walking on the road.
He appeals to people to respect one another and said sign language was there before Noah became a sailor and it will be there many more years to come.
