As South Africa celebrates 30 years of post-apartheid democracy in 2024, individuals with disabilities remain among the most discriminated against and marginalised groups in society. Dane Isaacs and Diana Sanchez Betancourt share insights from the first phase of the HSRC’s Democracy@30 Project, conducted in the township of Langa, Cape Town.
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In 2023, the World Health Organization reported that an estimated 1.3 billion people (or 16% of the global population) live with disabilities. Every year, 3 December is recognised as International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to raise awareness and promote the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities.
According to Statistics South Africa, in 2022, approximately 3.3 million individuals lived with disabilities in South Africa. The South African government, like various other governments around the world, has introduced several policies and legislation to combat exclusion and discrimination as well as to promote the rights and improve the participation of people with disabilities.
Yet, people with disabilities continue to face significant marginalisation in South Africa. They encounter various forms of discrimination and exclusion, face significant levels of unemployment and have trouble accessing high-quality and inclusive education.
The HSRC recently concluded the first phase of its Democracy@30 Project. Researchers visited several sites across South Africa to conduct fieldwork, including Makhanda, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cwebe in the Eastern Cape; Sweetwaters and Wentworth in KwaZulu-Natal; QwaQwa in the Free State; Langa in the Western Cape; and Vuwani in Limpopo.
The research team collected stories of people’s experiences with democracy over the past 30 years. They also explored community views on what the next 30 years would need to look like to achieve the promised “better life for all” in South Africa.
Disability in Langa
In Langa, data collection included a focus group discussion with nine residents from the township. Six of these residents were living with disabilities, two were mothers of individuals with disabilities, and one was a teacher of learners with special needs. The results from the focus group discussion provided insights into the challenges and marginalisation still experienced by people with disabilities living in a South African township after 30 years of democracy.
King Langalibalele Drive, Langa, Cape Town. Source: HSRC
Findings
Participants in the focus group discussion expressed strong feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction with democracy. Participants with disabilities described being particularly marginalised, receiving no support from the South African government (including ward councillors) in terms of employment opportunities, housing, transport, public infrastructure or educational support to learners with disabilities. Participants with disabilities reported only receiving attention from the government during election periods. For one participant, occupying this position of marginalisation was a strong predictor of choosing not to participate in democratic elections.
Finding employment
Another participant noted the limited progress in employment opportunities for people with disabilities. A mother described how her young-adult daughter with a visual impairment was unable to enter the labour market due to not having matric, vocational skills or certification from an institution. The daughter reported that she was unable to pursue entrepreneurship as a person living with a visual impairment due to inadequate support from the government.
“We are struggling to get jobs, or start businesses … Government does not help with skills …” (participant with a disability)
Participants with disabilities have been forced to live on social grants. Similarly, a mother of a child with autism described her difficulty in finding employment. She has been forced to support her child with a social grant.
Access to housing
Participants reported not having access to proper housing.
“I am a disabled person. Till now, I don’t have a house. I don’t have an RDP house. I registered [a] long time ago … 10 years, 12 years.” (participant with a disability)
“People [without disabilities] got very easy to these houses.” (participant with a disability)
Informal and RDP houses were described as small and not conducive for adults or children living with disabilities. One participant, who has a mobility impairment, reported being forced to live with her sister in a third-floor flat. This participant indicated being placed on a waiting list for housing for more than a decade, while individuals without disabilities were described as having greater and easier access to housing.
Gugu Sthebe Centre, Langa, Cape Town. Source: HSRC
Transport and public infrastructure
Participants highlighted difficulty accessing disability-friendly transport in Langa. They must wait for extended periods to gain access to suitable transport, such as Dial-a-Ride, a kerb-to-kerb service for individuals unable to access mainstream public transport.
“I am a part of Dial-a-Ride … you need to book seven days in advance if you want to go somewhere. How can I live my life? If I want to go to town, I must wait for a week … We are very limited. We are not given access to live our lives the way we want to … We are not seen. It is frustrating… We are actually taken like we don’t exist at all. We only exist when we are needed for something. Then that is done. We are not seen at all … We are people too … Because we are disabled, it does not mean that you are not a person. I am not my chair.” (participant with a disability)
Focus group participants with disabilities were particularly hesitant to use mainstream modes of public transport, citing harsh and unfair treatment by drivers of these modes of transport. However, they often had no other option.
“Taxi owners are very rude … They swear at us and say hurtful stuff to us.” (participant with a disability)
With regard to public infrastructure, participants described the roads in Langa as unsafe for people who are visually impaired and said that public infrastructure did not cater for persons with disabilities.
Lack of education facilities
Finally, participants indicated that no education facility supported learners with disabilities in the township. One participant said she started an inclusive early childhood development facility (according to the early childhood development policy guidelines) in her home for learners with diverse needs to address the gap.
“There is nothing … I am the first one to open the institution … I am using my house … Government is doing zilch.” (participant)
In the absence of government support, visionary individuals like this participant struggle to make a real difference. She also identified denial and stigma as a significant barrier for parents accessing adequate educational support for learners with disabilities.
Stronger advocacy and action
The participants also emphasised a need for stronger advocacy and action.
“We need a person with a disability who can stand [up] for us; who is not just there for their own needs.” (participant with a disability)
“Government needs to come up with something and stop saying that [they] are going to do something but do nothing about it.” (participant with a disability)
Recommendations and conclusion
This research highlights current service delivery gaps for individuals with disabilities, specifically in South African townships. Overall, and despite policies aimed at inclusion, the experiences of the Langa participants revealed their ongoing marginalisation. The significant barriers to employment, housing, transport, public infrastructure and education require urgent attention and coordinated change.
We need to prioritise equitable service delivery for people living with disabilities in townships to improve their citizenship and participation and to ensure they feel valued as full members of their community. One way this could be achieved is through the proper application of the Batho Pele principles by local spheres of government to ensure fair access to service delivery in townships such as Langa. These principles are described in a set of guidelines aimed at putting people first in public service delivery, with Principle 3, Access, highlighting the need to ensure equitable access to services.
There should also be greater representation of people with disabilities, alongside disability experts and activists, in all government sectors. Such action is important to guide and monitor equitable and adequate access to services for individuals with disabilities – more importantly, service delivery that promotes and prioritises their rights and needs.
Lastly, workshops and awareness campaigns with community members and government officials should be hosted in the communities where individuals with disabilities live. These initiatives are important to teach government officials and community members about the challenges and conditions experienced by these individuals and to improve their citizenship and participation in service delivery within their communities.
This is not just a call to policymakers, government officials, civil society organisations and disability experts and activists but a collective responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities are no longer marginalised. Together, we can create a society that truly values and upholds its rights.
Research contacts:
Dr Dane Isaacs, a senior research specialist, and Diana Sanchez Betancourt, a research manager, at the Human Sciences Research Council
