Publications
Partners
Centre set up to protect those with albinism allegedly misappropriating funds
After being consistently insulted and mocked for being an albino, Themba Tyiti* chose to isolate himself from his community in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
Every day, he would hide indoors in a room where his grandmother brewed traditional beer – umqombothi – for her customers.
Tyiti (15) never met his father, and his mother died when he was a young boy.
In October, when Tyiti linked up on social media with Piet Lengoabala (50), an activist for people with albinism, his life changed.
After listening to Tyiti’s story, Lengoabala said, he was touched and decided to find him a school to go to in Johannesburg.
“His life was miserable. It was not safe for the boy. People also attempted to kidnap him with the intention of killing him for muthi. His grandmother gladly handed him over to us. We only knew about him because of social media.
“But the question is, how many others are in the same position and we can’t locate them? This work of finding albinos who are harassed and in danger should be done by the Albinism Society of SA [Assa],” Lengoabala said.
As a former member of the Assa, Lengoabala has accused founder Nomasonto Mazibuko, who is also a former commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality, of not supporting people with albinism despite the fact that her organisation is funded by government and private donors.
City Press has seen a parliamentary report from last year that confirms that the department of social development paid the organisation R740 000.
Lengoabala says he raised his concerns during a meeting with the Gauteng department of social development in 2015.
Mazibuko was also at the meeting.
Lengoabala said that, at the meeting, he indicated that Mazibuko was getting government funds, but was not reaching out to people with albinism.
After that meeting, during which Mazibuko defended herself, Lengoabala said the department didn’t even investigate the claims.
City Press has seen an internal memo confirming the meeting and signed in August 2015 by Mariska van der Walt, the deputy director for persons with disabilities in the Gauteng department of social development.
Mazibuko did not respond to questions sent to her by City Press.
Mpumi Mazibuko, an employee at Assa, acknowledged receipt of our questions and noted the deadline, but failed to respond.
The Gauteng and national departments of social development had not responded to questions by the time of publishing.
Lengoabala said donors, including government, had continued to fund the Assa.
He said they even protested against the Assa’s conduct at the Union Buildings last year and handed over a memorandum, but nothing happened thereafter.
“If a group of people with albinism want funding from government, they will be told that the Assa is the umbrella body. But they know that we’ve been saying Nomasonto’s not doing anything for us,” he said.
Lengoabala said he first met Mazibuko in the 1980s when she was doing door-to-door visits to people with albinism.
In 1992, he said Mazibuko returned to his home and asked him to attend a meeting in Johannesburg.
That’s when he became a member of the Assa and was told that he and others with albinism would be supported.
However, he alleges that this didn’t happen and so he decided not to participate again.
However, in 2013, he rejoined the organisation as there was an awareness conference about albinism in Johannesburg.
He hoped that the Assa had changed.
Lengoabala further alleges that Assa had not held meetings to elect its leaders, and that allegations of nepotism were rife.
Two other organisations for people with albinism confirmed that they were not getting funding from the department of social development, despite being registered.
The founder of one of the organisations in the Free State said he had worked for the Assa, but was allegedly chased away after asking questions relating to the use of funds.
Another founder of an organisation that supports people with albinism in Gauteng said that, every time he went to the department, he would be told that Assa was funded.
“Now our people are suffering. We are not fighting with Nomasonto or Assa, but we want her to open that office for the benefit of people with albinism. We don’t want to take her to court. Some of us are ready to do that, but we don’t want that.”
*Not his real name
TALK TO US
What can be done to ensure people with albinism receive support?
SMS us on 35697 using the keyword ALBINO and tell us what you think. Please include your name and province. SMSes cost R1.50. By participa-ting, you agree to receive occasional marketing material
 |
| ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
