Director's Corner
THE ENACTMENT OF THE DISABILITY EQUITY BILL IS LONG OVERDUE
By: Sefuthi Nkhasi
This article is outlining the progress, and challenges facing the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill despite the positive attitude of the government of the kingdom of Lesotho towards LNFOD advocacy to have this law in place in order to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities.
It is important to note that LNFOD through its intervention, “capacity development for the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities” has met the Prime Minister of Lesotho, the Ministry of Social Development, and the parliamentary portfolio committee with the aim of showing the leadership of Lesotho the importance of protecting people with disabilities by speeding up the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill. What is surprising is that all the stakeholders with the full authority to enact this law are positive about the enactment but, none of their pledges are translating into concrete action.
LNFOD is therefore arguing that, the government of Lesotho through its relevant agencies does not give the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill the seriousness it deserves despite all advocacy endeavours made.
To illustrate, there are bills which were just initiated in 2018, such as the 2018 education Act amendment bill which the parliament has confirmed that they are going to be enacted into law in this sitting of the parliament leaving behind the longest pending Bill on the rights of people with disabilities.
This is a clear indication that, the implementation of this Bill once enacted into law is going to be a serious challenge.
The Disability Equity Bill is the endeavor of the government of Lesotho to domesticate the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities )CRPD). It is currently sitting with the parliamentary portfolio committee on Social Cluster since the 31st August 2019. We are now 10 months down the line with no concrete sign that the parliamentary portfolio committee will present the Disability Equity Bill for the second reading in Parliament any time soon.
The Parliamentary portfolio committee on Social Cluster through its several meetings with LNFOD has been indicating that the Bill will be enacted into law by the end of 2018. However, that did not materialize.
Following the failure of the portfolio committee to prompt the second reading of the Bill in Parliament in 2018, another pledge was made to the effect that the Bill will be enacted into law as soon as the parliament reopens in 2019. However, it is highly regrettable to notice that the Bill was neither discussed nor become the agenda of the Parliament.
Shockingly, the list of the bills under consideration at the moment by the Parliament does not include a bill on the rights of persons with disabilities.
LNFOD is therefore calling upon the government of Lesotho to fulfill its mandate of protecting its citizens with disabilities with the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill.
We are calling upon the government of Lesotho and the Parliament to rethink the current ways through which they are approaching the human rights of people with disabilities.
This article is outlining the progress, and challenges facing the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill despite the positive attitude of the government of the kingdom of Lesotho towards LNFOD advocacy to have this law in place in order to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities.
It is important to note that LNFOD through its intervention, “capacity development for the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities” has met the Prime Minister of Lesotho, the Ministry of Social Development, and the parliamentary portfolio committee with the aim of showing the leadership of Lesotho the importance of protecting people with disabilities by speeding up the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill. What is surprising is that all the stakeholders with the full authority to enact this law are positive about the enactment but, none of their pledges are translating into concrete action.
LNFOD is therefore arguing that, the government of Lesotho through its relevant agencies does not give the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill the seriousness it deserves despite all advocacy endeavours made.
To illustrate, there are bills which were just initiated in 2018, such as the 2018 education Act amendment bill which the parliament has confirmed that they are going to be enacted into law in this sitting of the parliament leaving behind the longest pending Bill on the rights of people with disabilities.
This is a clear indication that, the implementation of this Bill once enacted into law is going to be a serious challenge.
The Disability Equity Bill is the endeavor of the government of Lesotho to domesticate the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities )CRPD). It is currently sitting with the parliamentary portfolio committee on Social Cluster since the 31st August 2019. We are now 10 months down the line with no concrete sign that the parliamentary portfolio committee will present the Disability Equity Bill for the second reading in Parliament any time soon.
The Parliamentary portfolio committee on Social Cluster through its several meetings with LNFOD has been indicating that the Bill will be enacted into law by the end of 2018. However, that did not materialize.
Following the failure of the portfolio committee to prompt the second reading of the Bill in Parliament in 2018, another pledge was made to the effect that the Bill will be enacted into law as soon as the parliament reopens in 2019. However, it is highly regrettable to notice that the Bill was neither discussed nor become the agenda of the Parliament.
Shockingly, the list of the bills under consideration at the moment by the Parliament does not include a bill on the rights of persons with disabilities.
LNFOD is therefore calling upon the government of Lesotho to fulfill its mandate of protecting its citizens with disabilities with the enactment of the Disability Equity Bill.
We are calling upon the government of Lesotho and the Parliament to rethink the current ways through which they are approaching the human rights of people with disabilities.