Head of traffic sets a bad example

Barberton Times has on numerous occasions received complaints from the public about the head of the Umjindi Traffic Department, Mr Stanley Nkabinde, who seemingly insists on parking in the bay demarcated for people with disabilities.

On Thursday morning, however, things got out of hand when an elderly woman had to take her wheelchair-bound brother to the traffic department.

According to the woman, who doesn’t want her name mentioned for fear of being victimised, she arrived at the department to find Nkabinde’s vehicle parked in the bay for disabled people.

She is of slight build and fragile and needed to get as close to the entrance as possible. So she proceeded to park her car directly in front of the entrance.

Her vehicle did not block the entrance to the building as there are steps leading to the door from three sides.

Once she had helped her brother out of the car and into the building, she was approached by a traffic officer who enquired whether it was her car parked at the entrance.

Another officer entered and they exchanged words. Although she still had to assist her brother back into the vehicle after he had completed his business, she nevertheless proceeded to remove her car.

“Harsh words were spoken to me, which I found totally unnecessary. Had Nkabinde not been as arrogant as to park in this spot every so often, none of this would have happened,” she said.

Barberton Times sent an email to the director of community services, Comfort Makhanya, to enquire whether anything was going to be done to put a stop to this behaviour by Nkabinde. Makhanya, who was in a meeting at the time, returned the call and said he would read the email and take it from there.

This reporter reminded him of this publication’s deadline, both in writing and verbally.

“An officer of the law may park anywhere in the line of duty, given certain circumstances.

“As it is, there are numerous other bays Mr Nkabinde could occupy in the line of duty, while working in his office. Why park on the spot demarcated for disabled persons? There is nothing wrong with his legs. Can’t he walk two metres further?” another local enquired.

What is really of great concern to this publication is the fact that none of these people wanted their names mentioned due to fear of victimisation.

Barberton Times decided to speak to well-known Barbertonian, the wheelchair-bound Colin Walker about the issues people with disabilities faced on a daily basis, especially as far as parking was concerned. He didn’t mind having his name mentioned.

“Many people make themselves guilty of this kind of arrogance, not only in our town, but worldwide. It is, however, troublesome to find the very person responsible for upholding the law, engaging in this improper behaviour.

Some people only think of their own convenience and being so inconsiderate towards disabled people makes my blood boil.

“They are denying us of something that was created to make our lives easier and make things more accessible to us,” said Walker. He continued, “The haughtiness of the people amazes me. I would like to put a challenge to the person responsible for looking after these affairs, in this case, Comfort Makhanya. I hereby invite him to spend one day with me in a wheelchair in this town. Also, the people making themselves guilty of ignoring the disabled sign when parking, you can tag along too. Let’s see how far you get and hear your frustrations at the end of a normal day in which you try to conduct your business in the same way than any other walking person.”

At the time of going to print, this newspaper had not received any word from Makhanya. It still wants to know from him if he will inform disabled visitors to the Barberton Traffic Department if they can, from now on, expect to find the disabled parking available for their use, and their use only.