She was born able-bodied but can hardly recall what that was like.
She is confident, kills every pose and wows on every fashion runway. Wheelchair model Lebohang Monyatsi (35) recently partnered up with lawyer, model, and activist Thando Hopa in creating the Africa Fashion Legacy Project which explores the migration of fabrics like shweshwe and Ankara and the fluid mark of cultural ownership spread throughout several continents.
Lebogang met Thando met on social media who approached her to be part of the project. "I could not turn it down," Lebogang tells Drum. "Telling her story meant I was also getting an opportunity to tell mine."
Lebogang says while working with Thando, she learned that anything is possible. "She showed me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. For me, she is a role model and an example that a black child can achieve anything."
While Lebogang looks up to Thando, many other people look up to her for her bravery and ability to dare to dream as a person living with a disability. She started her modeling career in 2016.
"As a young child I always wanted to model but the were no opportunities for people with disabilities," she says. But through the years, she realised there were hardly any wheelchair models and she needed to seize the moment. "I wanted to be a representative for people like me," she says.
Her first modelling job was in 2016 when Godfrey Mphatswe, who was selected as part of the Mr SA top 50 contestants, asked her to do a social project for the pageant which was inclusive of different people in South Africa and she jumped at the opportunity. "I enjoyed working with him and it opened other doors."
Lebogang's biggest modelling campaign was for Woolworths in 2018 where she worked alongside Basetsana Khumalo. "Besides fashion shows and ramps, that has been the biggest thus far, "she says.
Modelling has also helped Lebogang to get out of her shell. "I am quite the introvert, by nature. But since I started modelling, when I get onto the stage, I feel less shy, and I am confident. It has allowed me to express myself in ways that I couldn't before. It has taught me to embrace myself, love myself, and embrace my flaws. I learned that I love being on the stage when I model, "she says.
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Born in the North West, Lebogang attended Tlamelang Special School, a boarding house from Grade 1 until 12. Lebogang is the firstborn out of four.
The second-born brother passed away a few years ago, and her youngest brother went missing in December 2020.
"That is a story for another day, but my [brother] went missing from his apartment and we are still looking for him," she says.
Lebogang was born an able-bodied person. "At age three I was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, a disorder that affects the nerves and muscle. The condition can affect polio survivors years after they recover from the initial poliovirus."
Lebogang has a vague memory of being an abled body person. "I don't fully remember myself being an abled body person," she says.
With three siblings, at home, she was never made to feel as though she had a disability. "My family treated me like the other kids. But it was when I went to play in the street, they would make me feel that I am disabled. When they see me, they would hide in their houses, and then when I get home, they would come out and carry on playing. This is because I was very slow. My polio developed and my legs got weaker, and I couldn't walk anymore and eventually, I got the chair when I was a teenager at around 15 years old."
For years, she put her focus on her studies. After completing high school, Lebogang read for her BSc in Psychology at North West University and graduated in 2013.
"I studied psychology because I was curious about the science behind human behaviour. I also loved to guide people but not necessarily make for them, and I've been working a nine-to-five job as an assistant Psychologist under psychometric assessment," she says.
Working as a qualified psychologist has been rewarding. "It has been easy for me as a person wheelchair-bound. I qualify for it and many companies are looking for qualified people with disabilities as it benefits them. But it is about proving that you are worthy of the job, and you can work as hard as a person without a disability, "she says.
With modelling, she still finds many challenges. "Most people are still closed-minded about people with disabilities. It's still not easy to get a modelling job when you have a visible disability. When I do get jobs, the challenge is accessibility. I struggle with movement, there are no elevators or ramps at times. With the show I did with Thando Hopa, I was involved in the preparation, she asked me which toilets I preferred and were best suited for me. She made sure I could easily get around and she accommodated my needs, which is not common with many modelling jobs," she says.
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Lebogang is also a professional basketball player. After 10 years of playing and representing South Africa in Mexico, Algeria, Namibia, Brazil and Canada, and other countries, she gave up on the sport.
"I decided to give up playing professionally because there was no growth. We were just travelling but not receiving compensation or payment. Male wheelchair players received payments and not us. Travelling was great but it was not rewarding in order to help make our lives easy. So, I had to stop," she says.
Lebogang hopes to see South Africa have more inclusive environments for people living with disabilities.
She says, not much has changed in almost three decades. "Things are still the same. People still have a stigma around people living with disability, and we still struggle with environments that are not inclusive" she says.
"Before I bought a car, I used to struggle with transportation. Taxi drivers would pass me because they don't want to help manoeuvre you into the vehicle. There are still restaurants and public spaces which are still not inclusive to people with disabilities."
