Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has announced that her office will construct five houses for people with albinism in the country.
Dladla made the announcement during the commemoration of the International Albinism Awareness Day, which was held at Mkhuzweni Technical Centre yesterday.
This year’s theme was ‘Demanding Our Rights: Protect Our Skin, Preserve Our Lives.’
Dladla said there was funding that her office had received from donors.
She said her office would be waiting to get a list from Albinism Eswatini for those who were living in deplorable houses or without proper housing. The deputy prime minister added that her office would be constructing 27 houses in total through the funding her office received from the donors.
“I have heard the President of Albinism Eswatini Philemon Gama saying my office has not yet built a house for people with albinism but today I am making this declaration that we are going to build them houses,” she said.
Dladla mentioned that His Majesty’s government was doing all it could to take care of people with albinism and to ensure that they lived a decent life without being isolated or segregated. The deputy prime minister further urged all Emaswati to change their mindset and embrace people with albinism.
“We need to ensure that everyone in society is welcome in our communities, especially those who are from marginalised groups.
‘The country has a Constitution that promotes the rights of all people, even our authorities respect the nation, hence I plead with all of you to also respect one another,” she said. On another note, Dladla said there was need to stop the stigma around people with albinism and this applied to hiring processes. She said people with albinism deserved an equal chance to be employed anywhere without being looked down upon.
Dladla said there were strides that had been made in that regard and both the Civil Service Commission and the Teaching Service Commission were at the forefront.
