By Sihle Nyamanda, Andisiwe Plaatjie and Luvuyo Mjekula
The Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (APD) joined hands with the South African Library for the Blind (SALB), the Makana Municipality and other partners in an awareness drive in Joza this week to educate the public about disabilities and their impact and advocate for acceptance and inclusivity.
The gathering also marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024, celebrated on Tuesday, 3 December.
A march led by people living disabilities from the Sani Street intersection, near the Joza Post Office, to Noluthando Hall, kicked off the programme.
APD social worker Francine Mwepu said the non-profit organisation, based in Cobden Street, supports people living with physical disabilities.
Mwepu said people living with disabilities were shown appreciation and felt part the community. She said the organisers wanted to celebrate their day with them. She went on to thank all the stakeholders including workers from different departments, for their contribution to the success of the event.
Ward 2 councillor, Ramie Xonxa, also addressed the gathering about job opportunities for disabled people, stating that they discuss these concerns with municipal directors, advocating for more employment opportunities for people living with disabilities in Makana.
The municipality has many responsibilities, and people living with disabilities should be considered for available job opportunities. “The directors and councilors sit down and discuss how they will hire people with disabilities. The only thing they do is to advertise job opportunities, but they do not hire disabled people,” Xonxa lamented.
Xolani Simakuhle, who deals with the Special Programmes Unit in the municipality, and also represented municipal manager Pumelelo Kate at the event, contributed his experiences dealing with people living with disabilities and HIV/Aids. He called for a stop to the abuse of people living with disabilities.
Meanwhile, Viwe Zici from the Employment and Labour Department said: ”People who are dealing with disability have not been recognized for a long time, because of the rules, policies, and laws of the government of South Africa. People who are disabled must be included in employment equity, disabled people should have rights to jobs.
“There is no employer or employee who has a right to say that they are not going to hire disabled people. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the workplace environment is conducive for all employees in the workplace. People who are in wheelchairs must be able to get jobs because of their rights and it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the place is free. Disabled people are not supposed to be queuing in lines,” Zici said, adding that the department has also engaged the Social Employment Fund (SEF) at the monument.
