By Thabisile Khoza
Mbombela - Forty Mpumalanga police officers have learned to use sign language in order to service hearing impaired people and open case dockets, among other things.
They received their Sign Language Basic Level certificates on Friday.
"Previously, deaf people were not getting help at the stations when they went to open cases because police were not able to understand their language but that is history now," said Mpumalanga police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thulani Ntobela who awarded the certificates.
He said the project, which was initiated by the Nelspruit policing cluster and sponsored by insurance company Metropolitan, is the first of its kind in Mpumalanga.
Ntobela promised that before the end of the year, all 82 police stations in the province will have police officers who understand sign language to help speed up the process of opening dockets for deaf people.
He said it only takes a week to complete the course.
"From now on, all deaf or people living with any kind of disability in our province will have access to our police stations quickly because of you," said Ntobela.
He said the officers who will receive training include those working in the charge office, communication office and some in the detective unit.
Metropolitan Group Scheme's regional manager Kobus van Vuuren said the company would sponsor the project until April next year.
He was working closely with the sign language instructors and was very impressed with their work.
“I went to their class last week and spent an hour with them. There is a lot of progress. The students were keeping up very easily,” he said.
DEAF SA representatives in the Office of the Premier welcomed the initiative.
“We are very happy to see this project bear fruit today because we are no longer vulnerable as before. We will have officers in our stations who will interpret when we open dockets,” said DEAF SA member Patience Mbuyane, who is also deaf.
She proposed that Commissioner Ntobela establish an SMS line for 10 111 so that deaf people can be able to report crime using text.
“We also urge our commissioner to make this language official in the province and to be ensure it becomes language number 12 in the constitution,” Ntobela said.
Project coordinator and co-founder of the project, Brigadier Dora Xaba, who is the commander of the Nelspruit cluster, said the idea was initiated by Constable Zanele Mtshali a month ago.
"When she came up with the idea I did not hesitate to consult with Commissioner Ntobela. I quickly went to his office to present my proposal and he agreed and welcome it with both hands and today it bears fruits,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
