Speech by the MEC for Health and Welfare Mr. Seaparo Sekoati on the occasion of Disability Month Launch Morula Boardroom

02 November 2004

Programme Director
The Media
Government officials
Ladies and Gentlemen

We are gathered here today to launch the disability month

During this month and indeed everyday of our lives we should double our efforts to fight all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities.

We must ensure that people with disabilities have access to services as well as social, economic and political opportunities.

It is incumbent upon us to ensure that there is an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well being of people with disabilities.

The gains derived from integration of disabled person in every aspect of political, economic, social and cultural life are immense.

The voice of disabled persons is seldom heard. During this month therefore we should offer an opportunity for persons with disabilities to be heard.

The observance of this month represents a strong moral and political commitment by government to take action to attain equalisation of opportunities for person with disabilities.

This is an opportunity for us to raise awareness in society about persons with disabilities, their rights, their needs, their potential and contribution.

This awareness and information about the situation of persons with disabilities is critical if full participation and equality are to be achieved.

As we celebrate this month, dedicated to people with disabilities, we should resolve to ensure that the campaign to register children with disabilities for care dependency grants as well as disability grant is intensified and that they have easy and quick access to these grants.

Over the past ten years government has made strides in ensuring that persons with disabilities are provided with services that will enhance their meaningful integration into the community and their participation in the socio-economic development of our country.

We have provided an opportunity for the development that will enhance their self-reliance as well as destigmatisation among family and communities.

Government has made serious progress in terms of ensuring that people with disabilities are employed in government. For example currently there are over 402 disabled people employed in the public service with five of them holding senior management posts. We commit ourselves to ensure that this numbers increase as more opportunities open.

We urge our partners in the private sector to emulate this good practice and empower our people.

As we expand horizons for people with disabilities we must also ensure that we make our public buildings accessible to them. Already more work has been done in this area and we will ensure that as the public sector grows, we take this aspect into consideration.

As we engage in various activities we must also take a stand against the escalation of fraud related to disability rants.

This fraud is partly due to the inability to distinguish clearly between people who are disabled and people with chronic diseases. It must be indicated that disability grant is not intended to provide relief from chronic diseases.

We will continue to find best ways of ensuring that our disability assessment panels are responsive to issues of disability and that they do not abuse our people.

The fraud is badly affecting government’s ability to implement social protection measures.

We also urge the disabled people to exercise correct procedures and to adhere to the specified criteria in the consideration of applications for and termination of temporary disability grants.

Non-adherence to these prescripts has violated the rights and inflicted hardships on our people and can lead to distortions in our social security system.

Government is working on implementing a comprehensive social security system (SASSA) our people. It is incumbent upon all of us to support this initiative.

Through this system we hope to provide services to our people in accordance with Batho Pele principles and in terms of current policies, legislation, regulations and prescripts.

As we launch the programme we urge everybody to place more focus on and identify opportunities for persons with disabilities and their participation in mainstream society.

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