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South African Disability Movement Condemns Systematic Exclusion from National Dialogue: A Constitutional Crisis in Democratic Participation
26
Aug
Aug
“Nothing About Us Without Us”: Coalition Demands Immediate Action to Address Discriminatory Practices from the National Dialogue
Pretoria, South Africa – 26 August 2025: A coalition of 45 Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) across South Africa has issued a joint statement condemning the systematic exclusion of persons with disabilities from the recently launched National Dialogue platform.
The coalition, representing approximately 3 million South Africans with disabilities—7% of the nation’s population—has declared the exclusion a “serious violation of constitutional rights” and a “betrayal of democratic principles” in their joint statement released today.
Constitutional Violations and Human Rights Breaches
The exclusion from the National Dialogue represents multiple breaches of South African law and international commitments, including:
- Section 9 of the South African Constitution (Equality Clause), which guarantees equality and prohibits discrimination based on disability
- The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA)
- The White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (WPRPD)
- South Africa’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
The joint statement declares, “This is not merely an oversight—it is a deliberate erasure of nearly 3 million citizens from discussions about our nation’s future. The message is unmistakable: persons with disabilities are still not seen as equal citizens worthy of shaping South Africa’s destiny.”
Systematic Exclusion Exposed
The coalition’s investigation revealed alarming patterns of discrimination in the National Dialogue:
- Late and inadequate invitations to disability organisations
- Complete absence of accessibility provisions, including South African Sign Language interpretation, braille materials, and accessible venues
- Chaotic arrangements that further marginalised participants with disabilities
- Failure to include disability perspectives in panel discussions and decision-making processes
The joint statement emphasises: “Disabled people are disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, gender-based violence, inaccessible healthcare, and discrimination in education and the workplace. To exclude us from national dialogue is to deny solutions for millions of South Africans deliberately.”
Impact on Democratic Processes
The exclusion from the National Dialogue undermines South Africa’s commitment to inclusive democracy and contradicts the principle of “leaving no one behind”. Disability rights intersect with every major social issue facing the nation, making meaningful participation in the National Dialogue essential for comprehensive policy development.
The coalition’s joint statement declares, “This exclusion dishonours the legacy of disability rights pioneers like Maria Rantho and Friday Mavuso, who fought to ensure our democracy would include all citizens. We cannot claim to speak for ‘the people’ whilst deliberately shutting out 7% of the population.”
Immediate Demands for Action
The coalition has issued the following non-negotiable demands:
- Immediate public acknowledgement and formal apology from National Dialogue convenors
- Complete reopening of the dialogue process with full accessibility provisions, including:
- South African Sign Language interpretation
- Real-time captioning and braille materials
- Audio description services
- Accessible venues and transport
- Easy-to-read formats for all materials
- Equal partnership status for OPDs/DPOs in co-designing and co-leading future processes
- Guaranteed representation in all panel discussions and decision-making bodies
- Inclusion of all disability types, both visible and invisible
Legal and Advocacy Response
The coalition has indicated that legal action remains an option if demands are not met. The joint statement notes, “The Constitution provides clear remedies for discrimination. We will use every available avenue to secure our rights.”
Historical Context and Ongoing Struggles
The disability rights movement in South Africa has a rich history of activism dating back to the apartheid era. Despite constitutional protections and progressive legislation, persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in employment, education, healthcare, and social participation.
Recent statistics indicate that 68% of working-age South Africans with disabilities have never attempted to seek employment, whilst only 10% receive disability grants despite qualifying criteria. The exclusion from the National Dialogue represents a continuation of systemic marginalisation that the disability movement has fought for decades to overcome.
Call for Solidarity and Support
The coalition calls upon all South Africans, civil society organisations, political parties, and international partners to support demands for inclusive processes in the National Dialogue. The joint statement concludes, “Democracy is only meaningful when it includes all citizens. This struggle is about more than disability—it’s about the soul of our democracy.”
Endorsing Organisations
The following 45 organisations have endorsed this statement for proper inclusion in the National Dialogue:
- Action in Autism
- Afrique Rehabilitation & Research Consultants (ARRC)
- Albinism Forum of SA
- Albinism Society of South Africa (ASSA)
- Association for Hearing Loss Accessibility and Development (AHLAD)
- Autism SA
- Blind SA
- Cheshire Homes SA
- Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA)
- Deaf Women South Africa
- Deaf Youth South Africa
- Deafblind South Africa (DBSA)
- Disability Association of SA National Military Veterans (DASANMVE)
- Disability Business Chambers
- Disability Economic Empowerment Trust (DEET)
- Disabled Children Action Group (DICAG)
- Disabled People South Africa (DPSA)
- Disabled Women South Africa
- Disabled Youth South Africa
- Down Syndrome SA (DSSA)
- Dyslexia Network South Africa
- Epilepsy SA
- Equal Citizens of Short Stature Southern Africa (ECOSS-SA)
- Muscular Dystrophy Foundation of SA
- National Albinism Task Force (NATF)
- National Association for Persons with Cerebral Palsy
- National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD)
- Occupational Therapy Association of SA
- Parents Network
- QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA)
- Quadriplegic & Paraplegic Charitable Trust of SA
- Rare Diseases SA
- SA Disability Development Trust (SADDT)
- Shonaquip Social Enterprise
- South African Blind Women in Action
- South African Blind Youth Organisation
- South African Deaf Women Association
- South African Deaf Youth Development Project
- South African Disability Alliance (SADA)
- South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH)
- South African Guide Dog Association for the Blind
- South African Mental Health Advocacy Movement (SAMHAM)
- South African National Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted Persons (SANABP)
- South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB)
- South African National Deaf Association (SANDA)
- Stroke Survivors Foundation