Programme Director
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
All protocol observed
I would like to welcome you to this first KwaZulu-Natal disability expo. It is indeed our privilege as the government of KwaZulu-Natal to host this important event and bring it closer to people with disabilities in our province. This exhibition provides us with a unique opportunity for the establishment of long-term relationships between government, the private sector and organisations for people with disabilities.
As government working together with our partners, we identified the need to organise this expo with a vision of creating a platform and also of ensuring that people with disabilities take an active and effective stand in informing policy towards their betterment and equal participation in the mainstream socio-economic and political discourse in our country.
I am sure this expo will be productive for all attendees as it provides an opportunity to showcase specific examples of how companies and business in general are contributing towards the national goal of achieving an equal society. In a society for all, the needs of all citizens constitute the basis for planning and policy, and the general systems and institutions of society are accessible to all. By accommodating the structures of society so that they function in a way that meets the needs of all, society mobilises the potential of all citizens and consequently strengthens its developmental potential.
People with disabilities are a natural and integral part of society as a whole and should have opportunities to contribute their experience, talent and capabilities to national and international development. This is the philosophy that has informed our active involvement as government in this disability expo.
It is estimated that over 10% of South Africans have some form of disability and that only 19 percent of them are employed. Research also demonstrates that a graduate with a disability stands a lesser chance of finding employment than their able-bodied counterparts. The primary objective of this disability expo is to create a conducive environment and conditions that broaden the range of options for both unemployed graduates and under-graduates with disabilities so as to provide them with better choices and an understanding of their possible meaningful participation in the wider socio-economic market.
The vision of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism is to be the leader in socio-economic development and to be globally competitive by ensuring improved quality of life for all the citizens of KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of South Africa.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism is responsible as part of its mandate to reduce unemployment in the province. It is the department’s mission to formulate and implement effective economic development strategies that create sustainable job creation in the province. The department supports specific initiatives around the reduction of unemployment especially amongst the youth. One of these initiatives is the youth economic empowerment programme which is aimed at ensuring that the Youth of KwaZulu-Natal are participating meaningfully in the mainstream economy of the Province and the country at large.
The key focus areas of the Youth Economic Empowerment Programme are enterprise development, information dissemination and capacity building, employment programme and training. These focus areas are aimed at outlining the implementation and roll-out of the KwaZulu-Natal youth employment readiness and placement programme, which will address youth unemployment issues particularly targeting unemployed graduates.
It has come to light that most of the initiatives that the department supports have not benefited undergraduates and unemployed graduates with disabilities. This is mainly because in the planning, organising and implementation of these initiatives some of the basic requirements for people with disabilities are not taken into consideration and therefore not met. It is against this background, and also based on the South African Constitution that places equity to the access of opportunity for all, that the department has embarked on a new approach that will see to the involvement of people with disabilities to ensure that their needs are identified, prioritised and met in a form of various programmes and policy initiatives that will be rolled-out for their betterment.
The implementation and roll-out of these special programmes will be achieved through similar lines as those of the KZN able-bodied youth and unemployed graduates. This will include:
* Proving training and job opportunities for unemployed graduates with disabilities
* Ensuring employability of graduates with disabilities through providing them necessary and industry required soft skills
* Placing qualified and employment ready graduates with disabilities on available job opportunities.
As part of assisting particularly disabled-undergraduates, the department is honoured to pioneer a joint initiative with Valhalla Arts and Indimezulu Trust, two organisations that are owned and run by people with disabilities, to launch the first KwaZulu-Natal disability expo.
It is with delight that I announce to you that this disability expo has been wholly planned, organised and implemented by these two partners whose main objective is to support other disabled persons in getting an education and employment. Valhalla Arts represented by Musa E Zulu, prominent KwaZulu-Natal Artist, Author and Motivational Speaker) is also a fundraising and events’ management partner of Indimezulu Trust (hereby represented by the Chairperson Mr Vusi Ndimeni). Indimezulu Trust was established with three main objectives:
* To raise funds for bursaries to students with disabilities at all levels of education
* To implement an outreach programme for the mobilisation of people with disabilities for various development initiatives
* To research and compile a comprehensive database of all students with a disability, particularly those that are in their final year of study in various tertiary institutions of the province.
To achieve the objective of an informative, successful and accessible disability expo, Valhalla Arts and Indimezulu Trust have invited various government departments, private sector institutions and organisations for people with disabilities to participate and exhibit the various services and opportunities they provide/offer to disabled learners/graduates. Each participant has been allocated a table/stand where they are exhibiting their various materials on policies, programmes and achievements towards the advancement of the status of people with disabilities in our society.
It is further hoped that this opportunity, particularly for government and the private sector to participate in this disability expo, will encourage them to sensitise themselves towards the rights, needs and presence of skilled/qualified people with disabilities in our society. I would like to also encourage all of us to visit these stands and make the best out of the opportunities and possibilities they hold for our future.
Today is not only about this disability expo but also a launch of a new and long-term disability intervention initiative called the Disability Economic Empowerment Programme (DEEP). DEEP is an extension of the department’s youth empowerment, readiness and placement programme.
The Disability Economic Empowerment Programme (DEEP) is directly aimed at:
* Accessing employment opportunities for people with disabilities particularly unemployed graduates
* Opening entrepreneurial opportunities for people with disabilities where potential ventures are identified and brought on board so that skills training and transfer are done on a demand and supply basis (formation of cooperatives will be encouraged)
* Maximising skills development for people with disabilities that have not accessed formal education so as to foster a sense of real independence and qualification that enables them to go out and find their own opportunities and areas of expertise where they can practice those acquired skills
* Engaging both the public and private sector institutions towards ensuring compliance to policy and integration of people with disabilities into their mainstream programmes and development initiatives.
The driving theme for this disability expo is “A time has come for us to determine our own socio-economic development.” This line has been coined to trigger the inspiration inside the souls, particularly of people with disabilities to know that the success of this day lies primarily in their own willingness to lead the whole process and ensure theirs and others’ meaningful participation. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Indimezulu Trust and Valhalla Arts hereby welcome all of you and your various institutions to participate in this initiative that aims to open our society’s opportunities to all a vision and a mission that seek to address the specific empowerment, employment and placement needs of undergraduates and unemployed graduates with disabilities.
This expo would have served its purpose if it opens up opportunities for people with disabilities to play a role in the economic mainstream of our society either a workers afforded an opportunity to work or as business people. As we get down to the business of this expo, we must remember the harsh realities that many of our people with disabilities are of working age; however, the majority of them remain unemployed. The unemployment and poverty rates most of our people with disabilities face do not reflect their abilities, energies and talents. We need to increase the number of people with disabilities in our companies and we must do away with the attitudinal barriers that deny them equal opportunities as equal citizens of our society.
The good intentions of this expo must find expression in the real world of our work places and businesses. It is my submission that we should ponder about the possible establishment of a watch dog body to hold all of us accountable in addressing the exclusion of people with disability. When we meet next year we need to see visible progress from all stakeholders. Banks should tell us how many loans they have granted to people with disabilities, companies and government should tell us how many bursaries and employment opportunities they have provided to people with disabilities. We must avoid turning this expo into an annual pilgrimage with no value proposition. As the current generation of leaders in various sectors, our mission which we must fulfil must be to change the plight of our people with disabilities for the better; we have no choice but to succeed in this endeavour. It is all in our hands!
The department and government in general would like to thank the University of KwaZulu-Natal for hosting this disability expo. It is when institutions of learning point the way forward that society really gets to appreciate the power of education as a tool for achieving equity. We also wish to extend our gratitude to private sector institutions and organisations for people with disabilities that are exhibiting and participating here today. Together we can do more and make a difference for us all.
I wish all undergraduates and unemployed graduates with disabilities all the luck in finding opportunities for their future development. Today only marks the beginnings of a process. This event should be celebrated annually so as to provide a platform where we all share in how far we have come with each turn. This is the essence of development.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Economic Development and Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
10 October 2009
Source: Department of Economic Development and Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kznded.gov.za/)
