Thank you programme director
MEC’s present here
Government officials
The leadership of Disabled People of South Africa
Non-governmental organisations
Traditional leaders
Members of the business community
Leaders of the faith missions
Ladies and gentlemen
It is an honour and privilege to be part of this important gathering which is convened to observe the International Disability Day. We have converged on this memorable day to pay respect and celebrate the lives of people living with disability. The immediate result of the much celebrated and successful 2010 FIFA World Cup was the hosting of another international sporting event under the auspices of International Federation for Athletes with an Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID).
We are grateful, but yet humbled, by the decision to choose Limpopo as the host of the said august sporting event. As a province, we derive some of the confidence from the decisions of that nature, that continue to give us courage that we are on the right path in making Limpopo a caring and loving home which is always motivated by the desire to make a positive change in the lives of the vulnerable members of the society.
The tournament for intellectually impaired persons served as a reminder to all of us about the importance of people living with disability and that space must be made for them too to participate in societal activities. It is through games of such character that humanity is afforded the opportunity to display its ability to accept and accommodate all people regardless of their physical or intellectual strength.
We strongly believe that the games have motivated, not only other disabled persons, but all people to develop passion for sports as part of recreational mechanisms.
Notwithstanding the efforts of government to popularise the tournament, the amount of attention and support we gave to the games tells a clear disappointing story about how disabled persons are valued and regarded. The African National Congress led government would like to seize this opportunity and express a message of appreciation to the volunteers, public servants, members of the police service and above all, members of the public for the immense contribution in ensuring that the tournament was a success.
Programme director,
Today, the international community is united under the banner of those who continue to inspire us to appreciate life and all its challenging complications regardless of the circumstances. We cannot undermine the fact that people who are living with disability represent hope and courage which serves as a beckon of motivation to humanity. They continue to remind us that as people we have vast purposes which can only be achieved through perseverance and the will to succeed.
Notwithstanding the scarcity of resources to support and aid them in their various activities, they are still able to confront the demands and challenges of life and explore opportunities presented before them. In certain respects, they also have the capacity to create opportunities for themselves, the opportunities that the outcomes thereof benefit many people.
As people, we should understand and appreciate that to life with a disability is not a personal choice, but in many respects is due to the dictates which are not controlled by humanity. In certain instances, people become disabled on the account of accidents or ill-health. It will be illegal and unfair, even from a moral point of view, to judge a person based on his or her disability.
The provision of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution assertively provides that everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
The Constitution, furthermore, states that no person should be unfairly discriminated against directly or indirectly based amongst others on his or her disability.
Programme director,
As the African National Congress led government, we have made a pledge to the people of Limpopo during the delivery of our State of the Province Address that people living with disability will be brought into the main stream of the economy.
We have launched the Limpopo Employment, Growth and Development Plan, an economic blueprint that will place our economy on the new growth trajectory which is able to sustain the growth of the economy whilst at the same time creating job opportunities for our people. Part of the fundamental objectives of the LEGDP is to realise the resolve to empower people living with disability as we further our determination to create successful entrepreneurs who come from disabled persons.
We have introduced various forms of policies that are aimed at addressing the plight of disabled people and at the same time consolidating on the strides registered in protecting their rights. We have enacted the Employment Equity Act which is very explicit on the promotion of a fair treatment of people living with disabilities. The act clearly indicates that the disabled persons should be afforded the opportunity to prove themselves at workplaces. The capacity of disabled persons to lead at the workplace cannot be judged solely based on their physical strength or outlook.
On the other side, the Disability Code continues to play a pivotal role in providing more clarity on the type of treatment and support that must be afforded to disabled persons in order to succeed in their respective areas of work. In order for us to succeed in meeting our targets of employing disabled persons in both the public and private sector, we ought to invest in skills development programmes that are aimed at enhancing the knowledge and capacity of the disabled people. The most sustainable tool that we can ever give to disabled people to confront the challenges of life is education.
We are still inclined to our decision that disabled persons must also receive education which is line with the current evolution of technology. As government, we will continue to provide computers and build laboratories to learning centres for disabled persons. It must be overemphasised that we cannot rest our demand that public facilities, including learning institutions at all levels must be structured and built in a manner that is user friendly to people living with disabilities.
Programme director,
It is important to indicate in strong terms that no amount or form of disability should limit or restrict the potential of a person to live life to the fullest. The prosperity in life can also occur as a result of the support given at home or in a community. It is for this reason that we are making a humble plea to members of the society to take good care of people living with disability and to refrain and discard any activity which exploit and disrespect them.
Acting, together we can do more!
I thank you!
Source: Limpopo Provincial Government
