- The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDs has noted with concern a publication by the Voice Newspaper stipulating that, ‘Assistant Minister of Local Government, Talita Monnakgotla has rejected a motion by Dikgosi calling for an allowance for caregivers of people living with disabilities’.
- Kubanga et al[1] contends that, the quality and the availability of a healthy and economically strong caregiver determines the welfare outcome of their dependent living with disabilities. It is then crucial to explore the quality and the support the caregivers receive to strengthen their care giving role. Following this, it must be noted that majority of caregivers are unemployed, as they have had to leave their jobs and abandon other sources of income to nurture their dependents with disabilities.
- According to Aide et al[2], despite the benefits provided by the Botswana government in hiring individuals with disability in-country, people with disability are excluded from the labour market or at least they suffer discrimination; the lack and inadequacy of education is a hindrance to employment. Additionally, the income disparity amongst persons with disabilitiesand those without disability is high with those without disability earning more income depicting that unemployment is high amongst people with disabilities.
- Mostpersons with disability do not have specific skills needed in the labour market. Furthermore, a great majority of males with disabilities were found to have never been employed as compared to males without disability which means that they are solely dependent on their families and spouses to offer financial, emotional, psychological and physical support.
- It is against this backdrop that BONELA calls for the Parliament of Botswana to consider the motion tabled by Dikgosi, calling for an allowance for caregivers of people with disabilities.
For more information, contact BONELA on:
Katlego Sechele at ksechele@bonela.org or 72282025
Cindy Kelemi at cindyk@bonela.org or 72385054
[1] Demystifying Caregiving for Children with Disability in Botswana (2015)
[2] Living Conditions Among People with Disability in Botswana (2015)