Latest updates – Monday, 11-Mar-2013 10:00

WSU celebrates International Women’s Day with the Deputy Minister

Walter Sisulu University celebrated International Women’s day last Friday in grand style when the university hosted a meeting with Ms Hendrietta Ipeleng Bogopane-Zulu, the Deputy Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disability, South Africa. The meeting was looking at where WSU stands in trying to promote, protect and uphold the rights of disabled persons, women and children.

In the meeting a heated debate showcased the expertise and knowledge the Deputy Minister who imparted to WSU management better ways of serving the needs of its disabled internal as well as external community.

The Deputy Minister’s wealth of expertise on issues of disability and on making sure that people affected are not marginalized were extraordinary. WSU truly learnt a great deal from her advice on how to move forward with issues of disability.

“We want to set minimum norms and standards for expected support to students with disabilities and that can only happen if we and universities come together to learn from each other on how to make those realistic and possible,” said Ms Bogopane-Zulu.

She continued that the special needs of disabled persons must be recognised and responded to by universities through reliable and effective models that will truly cater holistically for them.

The Deputy Minister found that WSU has a way to go in meeting the needs of its disabled students and was hopeful that it will find its feet and move in the right direction.

WSU management graced the event because they believe in doing more to uplift WSU standards and practices on disability issues. They responded positively by accepting where they might have missed the mark in terms of choosing an effective model to cater for disabled students and undertook to further look at what can be done to remedy the situation. Best practice models from universities like Limpopo and UCT were mentioned by the Deputy Minister.

“This meeting has been an eye -opener and we are willing to learn and implement new strategies for our own Centre for Youth, Gender and Disability because at the end of the day we want to assist our disabled students by offering them services that are needs driven,” said Dr Daphne Gumbi, Project Manager WSU CYGD.