South Africa: 'This Is How We Do It' - 30 Years of Caring For A Son With Cerebral Palsy

What the report says

Bhekisisa, published by AllAfrica, reports on the long-term care of Lorato Dikoma, a South African man with cerebral palsy, and his mother, Keneilwe Dikoma, in the rural North West village of Lotlhakane. The article, published on 17 August 2026, traces how Lorato’s condition was first identified at a six-month clinic visit in 1995, after a difficult start to life that included seizures and later diagnosis at a district hospital. He is now 31 and needs help with daily tasks such as washing, feeding and dressing.

The piece uses the family’s experience to show how cerebral palsy can place heavy demands on caregivers, especially in rural areas where transport is costly, clinics may lack medicine and suitable facilities are limited. It notes that Lorato’s wheelchair no longer fits him and that his local clinic sometimes runs out of the medication he needs. The report also describes how Keneilwe left school to focus on his care and has relied for years on support from family, church members and local community networks.

Beyond the family story, Bhekisisa explains that cerebral palsy is often linked to brain injury before, during or soon after birth, including birth asphyxia. The article says South Africa lacks a national register of cases, which researchers and advocates believe would improve planning and help identify gaps in prevention and services. It also says the health department has long recommended better labour monitoring, newborn resuscitation and stronger referral systems to reduce avoidable injury.

The article matters because it connects one family’s three-decade experience to broader questions about disability care, rural health access and preventable birth-related harm in South Africa.