Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has called on people living with disabilities to “stop relying on social grants and become active participants in the country’s economy”.
Addressing an event to celebrate International Day for Persons living with Disabilities in Thokoza on Thursday, Mokonyane said government had put in place programmes to assist persons living with disabilities to access opportunities. Among such programmes Mokonyane mentioned that 147 people were given skills development training in different areas by municipalities in the province to encourage them to participate in the economy.
“Part of what we are investing in as government is the economic empowerment of people living with disabilities. That is important because you can gain your freedom and be an independent person or even an employer,” she said.
Citing challenges such as transport, housing, and discrimination that people living with disabilities are faced with, the Premier said it would be a very good idea if people would go and form forums or associations that will make sure that they build taxis fit for them.
“We have heard you and changed the way we do things. We have changed our policy and said any public transport which takes a particular number of people shall have a particular number of seats reserved for people living with disabilities. The Rea Vaya bus system is a perfect example of this.
“What we are also saying is that rather than us deciding those individual owned taxis must have ramps for people living with disability, why don’t we get persons living with disabilities to provide transport. You can then decide how your transport should be like and make money from public transport,” said Mokonyane.
It was also reported that changes were already underway in the way government allocates houses.
“We have taken a resolution that when we build 10 houses that three must be for people living with disabilities so that every housing development plan accommodates them. We must make sure that any plan be it a mall, clinic or house is approved on condition that it is user friendly to people living with disability,” she said.
The Premier said that some Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses in the south of Johannesburg including areas like Braamfischer and Diepsloot have now been converted to accommodate people living with disabilities.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
4 December 2009
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
