WHEELCHAIR-BOUND uMhlathuze residents have shared their frustrations with the lack of accessibility on public transport systems. Zamanjeke Mdamba (49), an Mzingazi village resident and administrator at King Cetshwayo District Municipality Community Services Department, has been in a wheelchair since 1983 due to polio. “I struggle because taxi drivers are not all the same and I face issues with getting the wheelchair in the taxi,” she said.

In a desperate attempt, Mdamba now leaves her wheelchair with her son at the taxi rank, and gets help from a colleague using a second wheelchair at work.

She says verbal abuse is another challenge from both passengers and drivers. “Sometimes the driver is a bit moody and problematic. They call us names and say bad things, so we suffer a lot because of people like that.

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