Rhodes confers top honour on Komani’s disabled rights activist
A champion of the rights of people with disabilities, Mlungisi born-and-bred Tandabantu Tennyson August, 75, was awarded an honorary doctorate at a Rhodes University graduation ceremony recently.
East London-based August is a member of the Eastern Cape Education Advisory Council (ECEAC).
August says he has the interests of all persons with disabilities at heart.
In 2010, he was transferred from the Eastern Cape department of education’s head office to be the administrator of Vukuhambe Special School, for pupils with physical disabilities.
August is also a member of the SA National Association for Special Education (Sanase), which advocates for the rights, welfare, and education of children with special needs.
He said Sanase works with the departments of education, social development, and health to ensure that children with special needs had access to support and resources.
“In addition, the organisation trains and supports parents and caregivers of children with special needs.”
He said the doctorate would serve as motivation for him to continue his struggle.
“I feel very humbled by this honour. It has strengthened my resolve to fight for the rights of all people with disabilities as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in the SA constitution.”
Among his greatest wishes were to see more disabled leaders graduate from universities and technical colleges, or find employment.
He said that seeing disabled people succeed in these ways is the most rewarding part of his work.
One of the biggest challenges facing people with disabilities was a lack of political will from the SA government to implement the 2001 White Paper on Inclusive Education.
Another issue was the redeployment of teachers from ordinary schools who were not trained to work with special needs students.
This made it difficult to implement the policies needed to support disabled pupils and improve their educational outcomes, he said.
He said there was a lack of vetting of personnel working with vulnerable children with special needs.
“The huge number of autistic children on the school’s waiting list is a challenge, including inadequate or ineffective advocacy campaigns on autism and disability in general.”
Addressing these issues was essential for improving educational outcomes for disabled children.
He believes that many South Africans still view people with disabilities as objects of pity, rather than as individuals who can contribute to society.
He also feels SA has not done enough to integrate people with disabilities into the economy. He said people with disabilities were often excluded from mainstream employment.
August cites Proverbs 31:8-9 as a source of inspiration. “In this passage, the Bible encourages people to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to be righteous judges who defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
He quoted president Thabo Mbeki, saying a yardstick by which to measure a society's respect for human rights, its level of maturity and generosity of spirit, was the status it accorded to the most vulnerable members of society, disabled people, senior citizens and children.