21 Dec 2020

Parliament has shot down a motion by Maun East legislator, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile with 25 legislators voting against it while 14 were in support.

Through the motion, Mr Kekgonegile wanted to request government to consider accepting close individuals or relatives as proxy for People With Disabilities (PWDs) in income-generating projects funding applications for institutions such as CEDA, Youth Development Fund and LIMID.

He had indicated that the motion centred on the fact that PWDs had the same social and economic needs like all members of the community.

Mr Kekgonegile said there was a need for deliberately targeted business grants for disabled entrepreneurs beyond the physically challenged to include visually impaired.

He reiterated that business grants should be extended to PWDs with intellectual and multiple disabilities who were accompanied by relatives, guardians as their proxies.

The proxies, he said, would also have the right to grants and benefits of every policy and programmes through all the legal frameworks.

Molepolole North MP, Mr Oabile Regoeng said the motion was advocating for what was already being implemented.

He thus dismissed the motion and challenged the mover to try and familiarise himself with the funding agencys’ guidelines to appreciate some of the government initiatives geared at empowering PWDs.

Mmadinare MP and Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Investment, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi also rejected the motion on the grounds that government had already prioritised empowering PWDs.

Mr Molebatsi reiterated government’s commitment towards empowering PWDs, adding that funding agencies under his ministry’s portfolio had, during the current financial year, spent over P8 million in funding PWDs’ 42 projects. 

 Ghanzi South MP, Mr Motsamai Motsamai supported the motion, saying there was a need to acknowledge the need for disability inclusiveness in reviving the country’s economy. 

He said the motion came at an opportune time when government was preaching economic inclusivity.

Mr Motsamai said legislators should be at the forefront of advocating for the inclusion of PWDs in all government policies.

He argued that there was also a need for the establishment of an affirmative action framework towards PWDs. ends