GOOD Speech by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
2 May 2023
Note: This is the speech that was delivered by GOOD Secretary-General and Member of Parliament, Brett Herron, during today’s debate on the Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill: South African Sign Language.
Madam Speaker,
Section 1 of our Constitution establishes the Republic of South Africa as one, sovereign, democratic state founded on values that include “Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms”.
Section 9 (3) prohibits discrimination against anyone on the grounds of disability.
It is our Constitutional duty to build a nation which is inclusive and non-discriminatory.
For too long special needs, differently abled or disabled South Africans have been relegated to navigate a state that is unprepared or under-developed for them.
Exclusion, and an assault of their human dignity, is the most common experience as the infrastructure and services of the state, the provinces and our towns and cities simply do not accommodate their needs.
This is not so much about resources. It is about consciousness.
When we enact the 18th amendment to the South African Constitution, to recognise South African Sign Language as the twelfth official South African language, we take one giant step for rights of deaf South Africans but we only take one small step for the human dignity and rights of all South Africans who are excluded or unserviced because of their disability.
We must take this step and we welcome the recognition of SASL as our twelfth official language.
But our state – our national, provincial and local governments – must do more for all those who are excluded because of their disability.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za