Die Covid-entstof en gestremdes: Meneer Ramaphosa, ek vra met respek

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’n Ope brief aan die president van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, aan LitNet gebied vir plasing. ’n Engelse vertaling verskyn laer af.

19 Januarie 2021

Sy Edele, mnr Cyril Ramaphosa
President van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika
Pretoria
Gauteng

Die dringende behoefte om die gestremde gemeenskap met die vermyding van die koronavirus te help

Geagte meneer die President

Met die volle erkenning van u voortgesette verbintenis tot konstruktiewe beleidsmaatreëls in reaksie op die koronavirus (COVID-19), wil ek u aandag vestig op die verwoestende impak wat die virus op die kwesbaarste gemeenskappe van Suid-Afrika, soos die jeug en persone met gestremdhede, gehad het. Dit is ontsettend belangrik dat ons as ’n nasie sal aanhou uitreik na hierdie kwesbare persone wat min of geen toegang tot dienste het nie, en om hulle effektief te voorsien van kritieke toegang tot hulpbronne en dienste vir hul oorlewing.

Die Presidensiële Werkgroep vir Gestremdheid (Presidential Working Group on Disability, PWGD) het onlangs, op 3 Desember, die Internasionale Dag vir Persone met Gestremdhede, ’n Zoom-vergadering gehou. By vorige vergaderings is ’n verskeidenheid gemeenskaps- en godsdiensleiers oor COVID-19-riglyne en -regulasies geraadpleeg. Die PWGD is egter nie geraadpleeg oor ’n belangrike kwessie in die stryd teen die virus nie, naamlik die uitrol van die Covid-entstof in die nabye toekoms. Hierdie versuim om die gestremde gemeenskap demokraties te betrek by die implementering van oplossingstrategieë plaas die gesondheid en lewens van persone met gestremdhede ernstig in gevaar.

As ’n persoon met postpolio, wat aan die einde van 2020 COVID-19 opgedoen het, leef ek nou met die vooruitsig om weer die virus op te doen, wat my gesondheid verder in gevaar sal stel. Alhoewel ek tans ’n werk het, en dus ekonomies stabiliteit ervaar, is baie mense met gestremdhede, en hul ouers – veral in townships en plattelandse gebiede – minder bevoorreg; ook het hulle dikwels maar beperkte toegang tot die mediese hulp en dienste wat die meeste bevoorregte mense in die land geniet.

Die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie het Afrika eers verlede jaar vry van polio verklaar, danksy inentingsprogramme. Hoewel die entstof reeds beskikbaar was toe ek gebore is, was ek te swart om dit by die wit kliniek te kry. Ek was drie maande oud toe ek polio gekry het.

Ek vra met respek dat ons kwesbare bevolkings, soos armes, bejaardes en persone met gestremdhede, groter prioriteit moet geniet. Die onlangse mislukkings van die SASSA-toelaeprogram, wat duisende persone met gestremdhede sonder ondersteuning gelaat het, is ’n bewys dat die gemeenskap met gestremdhede nie by die besluitnemingsproses ingesluit is nie. Moet asseblief nie toelaat dat Suid-Afrika ’n nasie word wat stelselmatig die onmenslike behandeling van persone met gestremdhede toelaat nie. Dring daarop aan dat diegene wat die Covid-entstof kan bekostig (of wat mediese fonds het) die individue wat dit nie kan bekostig nie, subsidieer.

Ons doen weer ’n beroep op die Presidensie en verantwoordelike ministers om veral aandag te gee aan die onlangse mislukkings van die SASSA-program en die noodsaaklikheid om die gestremde gemeenskap in te sluit by die ontwikkeling van entstofverspreidingstrategieë.

Dankie vir u tyd en onmiddellike aandag.

Met vriendelike groete

Marlene le Roux


An open letter to the president of the Republic of South Africa. It was offered to LitNet for publication.

 

19 January 2021

His Excellency, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa
President of the Republic of South Africa
Pretoria
Gauteng

The urgent need to assist the disabled community in avoiding the Coronavirus

Dear Mr President

Fully acknowledging your ongoing commitment to constructive policy measures in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), I would like to call your attention to the devastating impact that the virus has had on the most vulnerable communities of South Africa, such as the youth and persons with disabilities. It is incredibly important that as a nation we continue to reach out to these vulnerable persons who have little or no access to services and to provide them effectively with meaningful links to vital resources and services for their survival.

The Presidential Working Group on Disability (PWGD) recently had a Zoom meeting, on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. At past meetings a variety of community and religious leaders were consulted on COVID-19 guidelines and regulations. However, the PWGD have not been consulted on a key issue in the battle against the virus: the roll-out of the Covid vaccine in the near future. This failure to democratically involve the disabled community in the implementation of solution strategies seriously places the health and lives of persons with disabilities in peril.

As a person with post-polio who was inflicted with COVID-19 at the end of 2020, I now live with the prospect of contracting the virus again, which would further jeopardise my health. While I am currently employed and am economically stable, many persons with disabilities, and their parents – particularly in townships and rural areas – are less fortunate and have limited access to medical attention and services enjoyed by most of the privileged parts of the nation.

The WHO only last year declared Africa free from polio due to a vaccination programme. While the vaccine was available at the time of my birth, I was too black to receive it at a white clinic and at three months old I contracted polio.

I respectfully request that we place greater priority on our vulnerable populations, such as the poor, the elderly and persons with disabilities. The recent failings of the SASSA Grant Programme – leaving thousands of persons with disabilities without grant support – are testimony to the fact that the disabled community has not been included in the decision-making process. Please do not let South Africa go on record as being a nation that systematically allows for the inhumane treatment of persons with disabilities. Please insist that those who can afford the Covid vaccine (or who have medical aid) subsidise the individuals that cannot afford it.

We again urge The Presidency and responsible ministers to pay special attention to the recent failings of the SASSA programme and the need to include the disabled community in the development of vaccine distribution strategies.

Thank you for your time and immediate attention.

With kindest regards

Marlene le Roux

Lees ook | See also:

Waarom ’n entstof jou lewe kan red, maar nie jou DNS kan verander nie

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