Visually impaired North West family of nine need more than just spectacles

Fanele Dlamini, 24, was born with low vision and had never walked more than a kilometer without supervision. Fanele’s family is probably one of the most poverty-stricken families in South Africa. His mother Nombulelo Dlamini, 52, is raising eight sons and one daughter all by herself and together the family has nine members, including Fanele, who were born with impaired vision and other disabilities. Four of the children in the family have no education and don’t go to school because they have no birth certificates and also suffer from impaired vision.  “Two of them went to start Grade 1, but the teachers sent them home because they couldn’t see well, while others never went to school because they didn’t have birth certificates,” she said. None of the children have ever received the much-need social grants because they have no Identity Documents (ID).  Only Nombulelo and the children’s grandmother, 82-year-old Celiwe Bongelizwe who lives next door, have Identity Documents.  The family of nine live in the Chris Hani section of Kanana, outside Orkney in the North West. Their RDP house, which could have been constructed in 1996 when the program for building low-cost housing began, has no windows and has doors that can barely close. Inside the two-bedroomed structure, there is no electricity and not a single visible piece of furniture. “We are crowded here, I live here with all my children. There is nothing we can do; my father was born blind, and my mother is also partially blind, said Nombulelo. Sadly, Nombulelo couldn’t say who or where the father of her children was and couldn’t recall her children’s ages or names. However, her mother Bongelizwe described each one of the children individually and said their ages range from 9 to 24. Bongelizwe said she received a government pension and that the lack of birth certificates for her grandchildren was because, after delivery, the birth certificates were misplaced. “We have lost them, and now it is difficult for us to reapply so that they could receive grants,” she said. Nombulelo has given up on attempts to get help from officials. She said: “Government authorities claim our situation is beyond their control and that they do not know where to begin if they want to help us”. However, in spite of the dire situation and living condition of Fanele’s family, Christmas came early for the young man and his family after he received a pair of spectacles from a non-governmental organisation. An ecstatic Fanele called out: “Mom I can see better, look at him, he is wearing a yellow T-shirt and that one is wearing a red cap, I can see them.” The spectacles were delivered by the Matlosana Mayor himself James Tsolela to the Dlamini family in response to a call from their neighbour, who highlighted the family’s plight and dire situation.  Tsolela also delivered some food parcels and he said he was pressed for time and couldn’t  elaborate on how the municipality intended assisting the family with their basic needs. Nombule was grateful that her grandson had his vision back.  “I am relieved that at least two of my grandchildren can now see well; they can now go and look for employment, return home, and help us out,” she said. She thanked the donor and said she would like to have some electricity so that she wouldn’t have to rely on firewood and candles.