The ongoing exclusion of a Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) councillor with a disability from the council meetings of the Rand West Local Municipality (Randfontein, Westonaria) because the municipal building’s lift is out of order is outrageous.
Earlier today, Councillor Charles Brough was unable, for the seventh time this year, to attend a council or committee meeting, because the lift he needs to use is still broken.
The council chamber is on the first floor of the municipal building in Randfontein and is physically inaccessible to wheelchair users.
This is more than a logistical problem, it is a gross violation of inclusivity and human dignity.
It is unacceptable that an elected representative, mandated by the community, is excluded from decision-making due to a lack of basic accessibility.
Ironically enough, the same government that prioritises South Africans with disabilities in theory, in speeches and policy documents, is failing to ensure participation by meeting the most basic accessibility requirements in practice.
There is a Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities under the Presidency on national level, yet at local level these principles are simply ignored.
The situation has already resulted in a serious injury a few months ago.
Out of sheer desperation, a security officer and an assistant carried Brough in his wheelchair up the stairs.
On their way down, one of them slipped and the Councillor fell down the stairs. He was injured and required medical treatment.
This dangerous and humiliating incident should never have occurred.
The Freedom Front Plus has sent several letters to the Municipal Manager, Thabo Ndlovu, requesting that the lift be repaired. Although attempts have been made, they were short-lived and the lift soon broke down again.
The building manager keeps making the same old excuse: there are no replacement parts available.
The party even asked that council meetings at least be held in hybrid format so that Brough can participate digitally.
But to date, this request has simply been ignored.
This is particularly problematic since he is also a member of the Petitions Committee, which is supposed to facilitate public participation.
The decay of the municipal offices and the unwillingness to implement sustainable solutions reflect a general culture of dereliction.
The only way to turn things around is if voters support a political party, such as the Freedom Front Plus, that is serious about promoting everyone’s interests – including those with disabilities – and does not merely pay lip service like the ANC.
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