Lenasia: Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has called on all South Africans to remain actively engaged in fostering the inclusion of people with disabilities. She emphasised the importance of collective support across every sector of society to make disability inclusion a lasting priority.

According to South African Government News Agency, the Minister was speaking at the launch of the 2024 Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM) in Lenasia. Chikunga urged society to support efforts toward disability inclusion and to encourage every sector to make it a permanent priority. The theme for this year’s DRAM, which runs from 3 November to 3 December, is ‘Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy: Creating a Disability-Inclusive Society for a Better Quality of Life and Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’.

Chikunga expressed her gratitude to the Johannesburg Council for the Disabled, acknowledging their dedication since 1995. She highlighted
their commitment to transforming and uplifting the lives of persons with disabilities through various services like social work, skills development, and enterprise development. The Minister praised the council’s efforts in championing social, economic, spatial, and technological advancements for persons with disabilities.

Over the past 30 years, South Africa has gained recognition for its policies and legislative frameworks supporting disability inclusion. This was highlighted during the recent G7 Forum on Disability and Inclusion in Italy. Chikunga stated that disability inclusion is a constitutional imperative in South Africa, embedded in various laws and legislative frameworks, including the Framework on Self-Representation and the National Strategic Framework on Reasonable Accommodation.

The country provides free basic and higher education to persons with disabilities under certain conditions and monthly cash transfers to support their basic needs. South African Sign Language is now the 12th official la
nguage, and the Public Procurement Act mandates that a portion of government procurement come from businesses owned by persons with disabilities.

The Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, revealed that public procurement accounts for about 19% of consolidated government spending, highlighting the economic opportunities for businesses owned by persons with disabilities. Chikunga emphasized the importance of institutions like the Johannesburg Council for the Disabled in facilitating income-earning opportunities for this community.

As Disability Rights Awareness Month is launched, Chikunga called on individuals to reflect on the status of persons with disabilities globally, continentally, and nationally. She stressed the importance of evaluating progress and formulating inclusive policies to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.