Friday, March 5, 2021
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Adverts
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Feature Development

Selective human rights

by Fatsani Gunya
10/12/2015
in Development
4 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

 

Today is World Human Rights Day. In commemorating the day, FATSANI GUNYA looks at how government offices at Capital Hill in Lilongwe are frustrating people with disabilities from enjoying their human rights.

RelatedHeadlines

Urban poor’s sanitation crisis

Transforming lives through goat farming

For women who feed Africa

It was around eight in the morning and in an hour’s time, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) headquarters was to host the Federation of Disability Organisation of Malawi (Fedoma).

Fedoma was donating to government various devices and equipment for disabled learners from Mchinji, Lilongwe and Salima districts.

The beneficiaries, with various forms of disabilities, could be noted around the magnificent government building.

Hanjahanja (2nd from R) feels Capital Hill is not disability friendly
Hanjahanja (2nd from R) feels Capital Hill is not disability friendly

But for a distant observer they all looked lost. They crammed the ministerial car park.

Minutes ticked by, slowly evolving into hours. The invited media, too, could not help but wonder if they had been taken to the right assignment. And then it struck 10 am.

“There has been a change of plans. The function is going to be held elsewhere, and not the conference room as earlier scheduled,” announced a MoEST staff.

Immediately, the people that had gathered at the entrance of the ministry’s headquarters were led to the new venue. However, another 30 minutes passed with most guests standing, anxiously waiting for officials who had gone to get chairs.

Twelve-year-old Salome Ndovi, who had come for a wheelchair on the day, could not support her frail legs for long. Like most of her colleagues, she made herself comfortable on the lawns, helped by her teacher from Kalambo Primary School in the city, Caroline Mwale.

As minutes passed, so did the sun scale up its scorch. There was no tent erected for the function; just trees around.

Nita Hanjahanja, board chairperson for Fedoma, could not help it.

“Let me start by registering our disappointment as people with disabilities before we go into the other formalities,” she began.

She blamed government for sidelining people with disabilities and ignoring their needs. She added government is selective in the execution of its duties towards the public, adding those with disabilities are usually on the receiving end.

Said Hanjahanja: “As you can see, this is just a make shift venue for our function. If this function was not for us, some tents would have been erected for us to have shelter.

“How can we flee in case of some bee attack or, God forbid, a snake? We are rendered helpless in such situations and that’s a shame for government to do this to us in this age and era, especially where it [government] continues to preach human rights and yet fails to live up to the same.”

It was later understood that the ministry had decided to shift the venue for the function owing to the physical nature of the offices, claiming their guests would have had challenges reaching the conference room as they had to use the stairs in the absence of an elevator.

The building, just like most government offices at Capital Hill, is not disability-friendly as they, among others, lack elevators with only staircases linking one floor to the other. Not even special pavements for those on wheelchairs.

Director for primary school education at MoEST Joseph Chimombo said it is a pity that Fedoma has had to rebuke ‘us over the matter when we could have done better ourselves’.

“No explanation can now justify why this is the situation at all government’s offices. However, we have taken note of their observation and I’m sure this eye-opener will be responded to with the urgency it deserves.”

Executive director of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Timothy Mtambo concurred with Fedoma’s outbursts, saying human rights should not be so selective.

“Human rights are not earned. It’s not an issue of privileges or lack of. They are universal and they should be enjoyed by all at same wavelengths,” he said.

He faulted government on the Fedoma incident, saying the ministry would have perhaps settled for a venue conducive to people with disabilities than was provided.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Francis Kasaila said there is a possibility to have government offices at Capital Hill reworked to ensure increased access.

He also admitted that most offices are not disability-friendly, something he attributed to the fact that they were constructed when human rights were not that promoted.

Moving ahead, Kasaila said his ministry has embarked on making all new construction projects in the country to be disability-friendly.

Hanjahanja, however, dismissed Kasaila’s assertion that Capital Hill was constructed when human rights were not promoted.

“That’s actually an insult to Malawians. Are we saying the country didn’t have people with disabilities, then? Or, someone is trying to imply that the architects never thought people with disabilities would ever rise to work in top public service positions? It’s not like government has to do it for us alone. Anyone can fall victim to disabilities,” she said. n

Previous Post

Malawi sells culture in Kenya

Next Post

Malawi speaks ending poverty

Related Posts

water | The Nation Online
Development

Urban poor’s sanitation crisis

March 1, 2021
Katungwe | The Nation Online
Development

Transforming lives through goat farming

February 26, 2021
maize farmer | The Nation Online
Development

For women who feed Africa

February 5, 2021
Next Post
Kullenberg: Borrow to 
support growth

Malawi speaks ending poverty

Opinions and Columns

In pursuit of development

The future of aid

March 4, 2021
Business Unpacked

Take time to know your pension’s worth

March 4, 2021
Rise and Shine

How do successful people think?

March 4, 2021
My Turn

Unmasking Covid-19 vaccine

March 3, 2021

Trending Stories

  • Under probe: The Reserve Bank building in Mzuzu

    Exclusive: RBM’s Mzuzu branch payment mess exposed

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Minister wants Msundwe police officers prosecuted

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Charcoal traffickers fined K800 000, vehicle forfeited

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Macra to introduce fees for phone numbers

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Malawian boxer risks life ban

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2021 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.