South Africa: Deaf, mute man chased away by police

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Deaf, mute man looking for son chased away by police

By Hendrick Mphande

THE Human Rights Commission yesterday slammed the attitude of officers on
duty when a deaf and mute man was allegedly chased away at the New
Brighton police station where he had gone to report his son missing. Its
absolutely unacceptable and a gross violation of human rights in a
democratic country, said the commissions deputy chairman, Dr Zonke
Majodina. She was reacting to claims made by Mbulelo Faleni, 40, who was
allegedly chased away on February 4 when he went to the station searching
for his 20-year-old son. When the son did not come home the previous night
Mcedisi Makasi, a qualified interpreter at the Port Elizabeth magistrates
court, said Faleni panicked and proceeded to the police station where the
police officers chased him away. Majodina said by failing to attend to the
complaint, the police were in a violation of the rights of people who were
physically challenged.

If there was no interpreter present, the officers on duty should have at
least thought of taking the matter up with people in high authority, she
said. Makasi recalled how a visibly upset Faleni arrived at his home to
fetch him to the station to help. It emerged later that the son had slept
over at a friends. The commission has promised to investigate the
allegation and said they would encourage Faleni to lodge a formal
complaint. Police spokesman captain Bonisile Sigobe said none of the 14
stations in the Nelson Mandela Bay had a sign language interpreter to help
the deaf and mute wanting to report cases. He declined to comment further
and referred all inquiries to provincial police spokesman Superintendent
Michelle Matroos.

Matroos said she was not aware whether there was indeed a police station
with a sign language interpreter, but there must be a way to communicate
with them. She referred inquiries to the office of Marinda Mills, director
of communications, who said the SAPS has a language policy and part of it
was that the police work in conjunction with NGOs who provide such a
service when the need arises. Part of the policy has also to do with
sensitising our members about the plight of people with disabilities
wanting help from us. If members of the public feel they have been
unfairly treated they have the right to open up a case, Mills said. She
added that in the past certain police officers had been offered training
courses in sign language interpretation but it was no longer possible.
Mills promised to investigate the incident.

She said the deaf society was deliberately being marginalised and ignored
and cited the shortages of sign language practitioners as a clear example.
The non-availability of sign language interpreters was also common to
hospitals, learning institutions, courts and banking institutions, and the
problem needed urgent attention, Makasi said.

http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n15_14022007.htm

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