Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
ISRAEL Ncube is a young man aged 20 living with a hearing and speech impairment.
He believes his disability is not inability and constantly picks up petty fights with his family accusing them of discriminating against him.
Chronicle recently visited Israel’s parents’ homestead in Lukosi, Hwange, where his mother Ms Sifiso Ndlovu spoke on his behalf.
Ms Ndlovu said the family was appealing to well-wishers for help to get Israel to learn proper sign language.
Israel is one of the many persons living with hearing and speech impairment who struggle to interact with the mainstream society because of limitations in sign language.
When President Mnangagwa launched the National Disability Policy in 2021, the vision was to address the marginalisation and discrimination of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and empower them to improve their own quality of life.
The policy was developed with support from various stakeholders including the United Nations to set standards for the inclusion of PWDs in all facets of life and enable them to contribute towards the national development agenda.
Israel has never been to school and an attempt to take him to King George V1 in Bulawayo in 2017 hit a snag after authorities at the institution noted that he was too old to enter formal school with minors.
He struggles to communicate with others, except with his family and a few in his community who have learnt some informal signs to communicate with him.
But, Israel’s mother said sometimes he gets emotional as he believes he cannot get a formal job because he is neglected.
Chronicle learnt that Israel sometimes puts on a work-suit and goes to look for a job at the nearby Dinson Colliery and each time he returns home after failing to secure one, he becomes emotional.
“Sometimes he just puts on a work-suit and follows his peers to Dinson Coal plant nearby to look for a job and he has failed to get one because he doesn’t have an identity document and struggles to communicate with people there. One of his ears isn’t working and he uses one ear which makes it difficult to communicate with him.
“So he sometimes gets angry saying we don’t love him which is why he doesn’t have an ID. The problem is that we don’t have money to get him an ID after all his documents burnt in the hut a few years ago,” said Ms Ndlovu.
As she spoke, Israel sat beside her and would smile at her whenever he picked what she was saying about him.
The visit was prompted by concerns raised by some villagers who alleged that Israel was being abused by his father Nenu Given Ncube and his mother.
Ms Ndlovu dismissed the allegations saying the family was struggling to raise money to take him to hospital.
The family suspect that their son was bewitched.
Ms Ndlovu said Israel was born on 20 September 2003 at St Mary’s Lukosi Hospital in Hwange as the second born in a family of six.
He was tiny at birth and only started walking towards his third birthday and doctors said he had weak bones.
Israel is slim and appears fragile and his mother said a simple scratch on any body part can develop into a serious wound.
He has scars all over his body, the worst being on the left upper arm and left leg.
His mother said Ncube’s challenges started in 2017 when he mysteriously became sick with a deep wound on the upper limb below the shoulder.
The wound healed recently and he had a small bone that was protruding from the wound for months as the family claimed they didn’t have money to take him to Mpilo Central Hospital.
“The wound on the leg started after he was scratched by a twig and it developed into a deep wound. As for his condition, it started in 2017 when I left him at home around 3pm as I went to the garden. While there, my mother sent a message saying Israel had been injured and when I came back, I found him lying down.
“He claimed he was beaten by someone who promised to kill him if he reported. This thing worried us and until today we don’t know what caused the wound. We went to the hospital and police came to investigate but could not get the person who beat him and it remains mysterious,” said Ms Ndlovu.
She said doctors ran several medical tests but couldn’t find anything. The arm swelled until a wound which resulted in a small bone protruding below the shoulder developed.
“The arm started swelling and in no time there was an abscess which started discharging pus. The Social Welfare Department has been assisting him to access medical attention but still, we have to buy medicines. He sometimes gets emotional saying we don’t love him and we have learnt to be patient with him,” said Ms Ndlovu.
“We have consulted prophets and traditional healers to no avail. Right now we have given it to God to judge whoever did this to him.”
Recently, doctors in Hwange recommended that Ncube goes for a specialised operation in Bulawayo but the family failed to raise the money required.
The family survives on dong menial jobs for other villagers.
“He needs an ID so that he can get a formal job and we wish he could get something to do so that he can be like his age mates hence we appeal for help from people,” said Ms Ndlovu.
Despite his condition, Israel is a dancer and performed at the recent Shangano Arts Festival in Hwange.
He sometimes goes to the nearby shops to hang around with friends.
Israel can do household chores with other children.
He once moulded some tin bricks saying he wanted to build his bedroom hut but stopped when his family could not get him more building materials.
Israel demonstrated his dancing skills to the news crew during the interview although he struggles to hear the music.
A local charity organisation, Works of Mercy, has been assisting Israel to access medical attention and urged the family to abide by recommendations from medical experts. @ncubeleon
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