22 Jun 2015

Delays to assist people living with disabilities deny beneficiaries the right to lead a dignified lives, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has said.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Thamaga, he said the anomally  must corrected by concerned offices by applying affirmative action when assessing people living with disabilities (PWDs).

He said such people should not wait long to be assessed and assisted especially when employment opportunities arises.

The assistant minister encouraged people with disabilities and care takers to utilise opportunities extended to them by government such as registering for disability card and other programmes geared towards improving their lives.

He also noted that during the meeting by assistant ministers of the ministries dealing with the disabled and their empowerment, they realised gaps when it comes to assistance of the disabled personnel such as the 3 000 beneficiaries that must be assessed.

Mr Makgalemele said the ministers have since instructed their personnel to ensure they attend to the matter, so that the PWDs get assisted and lead normal lives. He encouraged Batswana to not only rely on Ipelegeng as substitute to full time employment, as the programme was meant to be a temporary solution to assist families to make ends meet, especially during recession and drought periods.

He said people enrolled in the programme should surely one day graduate from abject poverty to leading better lives and as such people should not be worried when enrolment numbers go down, but should be concerned when more people join than graduate from the programme.

He said people should not think of making quick money through Ipelegeng, but rather focus on long term benefits by utilising assistance from government programmes such Youth Empowerment Schemes, Youth Development Fund, ISPAAD, and LIMID, which have the potential to benefit not only individuals, but the larger economy through employment creation. ENDS