‘IMPOTENT MEN SHOULD GET DISABILITY GRANTS’

PIGG’S PEAK – Men who cannot have children due to impotence could qualify as people with disabilities if they could have it their way.

A debate concerning impotence ensued yesterday during deliberations of the ‘Persons with Disabilities Bill 2015’ by senators. According to the bill, people with disabilities will be registered and a fund will be established to specifically assist them.
The bill defines persons with disabilities as; “Those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
The debate intensified when Chief Sotunwane asked whether being barren was a disability. This prompted Prince Kekela to ask if men who were impotent could also qualify as people with disabilities.

While the chief made the suggestion softly, the issue suddenly became a big topic with some senators asking why being impotent could not be a disability.
Senator Chief Mvimbi Matse then asked Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) office Khangeziwe Mabuza to list the types of disabilities. Mabuza said certain words such as inyumba or sihulu were commonly used by communities to refer to persons with disabilities but that this was sometimes derogatory.

However, Chief Mvimbi insisted that the words should be listed so that people would be clear what disabilities were.
The chief said listing the disabilities would avoid a situation where every person would come up with unlisted ailments and then claim from the fund. “Soon, there will be no money to give to the people who are really affected,” said Chief Mvimbi.
Sindi Dube, the programme manager of the disability unit in the DPM’s office, said impotence could be classified under medical conditions as it had to do with one’s sexual reproduction.

She, however, suggested that impotence did not fall under disabilities. Dube said disabilities were instead listed according to the World Health Organisation to which Swaziland also subscribed.

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