The Intellectual Disability of Lesotho (IDAL) hosted a prayer session yesterday, as a way of celebrating the African Woman`s month with women who are living with disability, as well as those who are taking care of disabled people.

On that occasion Mrs ‘Malehlohonolo Molelengoane of Lesotho National Federation of Organizations of the Disabled(LNFORD), who is also an advocate in issues affecting disabled persons, stated that there is a law called Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, where section 219 of it states that mentally disturbed persons cannot testify in a courts of law.

However LNFORD challenged that law, saying the mentally disturbed persons should now be able to testify in the court of law.

She therefore appealed to the nation to support people living with disability, by helping them to testify in court where it is needed.

On behalf of the parents taking care of disabled people, Mrs Mathapelo Masao indicated that disabled people also have rights especially a right to give birth, saying parents often make decisions for the disabled people by making choices on their behalf.

She also appealed to parents not to be ashamed of their disabled children and hide them as that is not fair to them.