The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, launched a R657m fund for those living with disabilities. The launch was held on November 29 at Bind SA Alrode, in Alberton.
The fund is aimed at empowering more than 10 000 persons living with disabilities across South Africa through tailored training programmes, stipends, and specialised tools.
Speakers included Minister Nkabane, Sindisiwe Chikunga (Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities), Jace Nair (CEO of Blind SA), and other senior government officials. Blind SA CEO Jace Nair highlighted some of the challenges faced by visually impaired and blind people.
“Ministers, some of the challenges we face as visually impaired and blind people are being unable to access government websites. And sometimes when we go open cases with the police, they tell us they can’t help us because we are unable to identify the perpetrators.”
Nkabane warned against unscrupulous individuals intending to steal the disability fund through fraud and corruption.
“We are not going to tolerate counterrevolutionaries who want to steal from our people, especially in the disabled community. I am going to personally open criminal cases against people implicated in attempts to steal these funds,” said Nkabane.
Asked by the Alberton Record what measures will the department put in place to safeguard the disability fund against fraud and corruption, Nkhabane said: “There will be no squandering of funds, it is no longer a honeymoon.
“I will put measures in place that will monitor and evaluate these funds. I will also make unannounced visits to all these training sites, to ensure that training is taking place and that there is a clear exit strategy for those who will be trained.”
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The launch coincided with Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM), under the theme: ‘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’.
The Alberton Record also quizzed Minister Chikunga about issues raised by Blind SA CEO Jace Nair, particularly the inaccessibility of government websites to visually impaired and blind people.
“We will be taking this matter to the cabinet and other ministers; we will also talk to State Information Technology Agency (SITA) about it so that it is a matter that is addressed once and for all, working together with them and considering the technology that we already have which ensures inclusivity. I think it is possible to remedy the situation,” said Chikunga.
The fund is earmarked for the 2024/25 financial year. Training programmes, stipends, and specialised tools for those living with disabilities are set to start in April 2025.
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