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International Day of the Disabled celebration
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Sports, Arts Culture

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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
 SPEECH BY MEC BALINDLELA
AT THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE DISABLED CELEBRATION
 ON 30 NOVEMBER 2000



Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to address you this afternoon on a day of great excitement and celebration 
for all people with disabilities.

I cannot believe that a year has already passed and I stand before you today to affirm the governments commitment to people with 
disabilities.When I addressed you last year, I focussed on ways in which government would be able to assist people with disabilities and I 
must say that in the past year we have done that. Most departments have established the Special Programmes Units which focus on gender, 
youth and the disabled, the departmental budgets have prioritised the development of the disability sector, we have excelled in sport with 
the fine example of our Paralympians in Sydney, where the flag of the country flew high and I am very proud to say that amongst those 
medallists were people of our province. The disabled have excelled in music, soccer and have had international exposure as well. The 
Premiers awards focuses on acknowledging this excellence displayed by all the people of the Province and the disability sector is part of 
that group.

I must stress though that while we have focussed on some aspects, we need to focus our energies towards sign language and transformation of 
infrastructure so that access to public buildings and amenities by building access ramps and lifts is accelerated.

But to say that only the South African Government is committed to people with disabilities is an understatement. The world views people 
with disabilities as a priority and this day of the 3rd of December was declared International day of Disabled Persons.

The year 2000 to 2009 has been declared the African Decade of Disabled People. This resolution was taken by the United Nations and adopted 
at a World Assembly in 1998.

Here in South Africa and in Africa as a whole, we have adopted the following theme for the next decade  Disability Renaissance from 
poverty to social, political and economic empowerment of people with disabilities.

Because this theme has been agreed upon for the decade, the provinces will all be having an opportunity to host the national Event. This 
implies that we as a province will be getting our chance to showcase people with disabilities to the country in the next few years.

As a province we have begun the African decade by focussing in the past year on the empowerment of disabled in the various spheres in the 
following ways.

SOCIAL

* Education and training
* The introduction of the White Paper related to Skills Development and Training
* Welfare  poverty alleviation programmes
* Health policies on rehabilitation
* Sport, Arts and Culture  programmes of the department are aimed at developing sports persons and artists with disabilities

POLITICAL

* At present both at national and provincial level people with disabilities represent the disability sector.
* We in the province are also committed to ensuring that the disability sector is involved in exercising their constitutional rights by 
voting in the Municipal Elections on the 5th December. Various departments have been involved in campaigns to involve the Independent 
Electoral Commission to engage with the disability sector.
* At a recent build-up activity to this day, the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture held such an exercise in Umtata.
* I urge you to exercise your democratic right as citizens of this country by doing just that - go to the poles on the 5th December and 
vote. Each and every one of you can make a difference to what happens in your country. As the disability you need to stand up and be 
counted!

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

* Following the job summit agreements, headway was made for the disability sector where 2% of the procurement system of public and private 
sector must now be allocated to the disability sector.
* The Employment Equity Act is also aimed at realising this objective where both the public and private sector now have to ensure that the 
disability sector is not discriminated against in the employment market.
* Provincially, departments are focussing on rural development programmes to assist our disadvantaged communities in entrepreneurial 
skills.

Ladies and gentlemen through these initiatives in the past year alone, it is clear that we as government are committed and will continue to 
be committed to ensure that the disability sector becomes an integral part of society and one of the main aims is to mainstream this 
previously marginalised sector into civil society as a whole.If we continue with the vigour that has been displayed in the past year, we 
will definitely achieve the aim set out for the next decade.

I thank you !

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