The rights of persons with disabilities on the spotlight

Two post-doctoral researchers for the Children’s Rights Project at the Community Law Centre contributed a chapter to the first edition of the African Disability Rights Yearbook.

Dr Aquinaldo Mandlate and Dr Nkatha Murungi’s chapter titled: Disability Rights in the Sub-regional Economic Communities during 2011 and 2012 focuses on the major development relating to the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities in African sub-regional development communities.

The book is published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP). It was, recently, launched by the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria as a milestone to engage with the rights of persons with disabilities across African states, regional and sub-regional organisations in the continent.

Dr Murungi writes on the developments encountered in the East African Development Community (EAC) while, Dr Mandlate deals with developments on disability rights from the perspective of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).The arguments make it clear that each sub-regional economic community discussed has its specific characteristics.

However, as common place, these economic communities have both adopted certain basic normative standards and institutional measures that can be utilised to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. The authors also argue that there are major seatbacks that obstruct adequate protection of the rights of persons with disabilities as envisaged in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Despite the gaps, the findings reiterate that it is these mild opportunities that can be utilised to further the rights of persons with disabilities in African sub-regional economic development communities, specifically in EAC and the SADC, which need to the strengthened to meet the standards contained in the CRPD.

The authors hope that their contribution brings to light the current scenario in respect to the promotion and protection of rights of persons with disabilities in EAC and SADC and serve has benchmark to measure developments in these sub-regional economic communities in the future.