15 Oct 2024

Government has put in place programmes meant to benefit and facilitate People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) to enable them to live a normal life, says Assistant Minister for State President, Ms Boitumelo Gofhamodimo.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Nata recently, Ms Gofhamodimo said PLWDs must have equal opportunities like any other Motswana, adding that in the past they experienced challenges in their day to day life and were excluded from benefitting from a number of government programmes.

Thus, she said the recently passed Persons with Disability Act, would among other things prohibit discrimination against people living with disabilities as some had suffered prejudice in job opportunities.

“With the new policy, we are doing away with stereotype and giving people living with disability equal chance to play a significant role in their economy as well,” she said. She highlighted that implementation of the Act had not started as they were currently developing regulations.

A representative of People Living With Disabilities, Mr Kamanga Kandondi said they faced discriminations in a number of government institutions such as health facilities, where they were expected to queue like everybody else. For her part, Tutume District Council poverty eradication officer, Ms Ruth Bula said they had assisted 71 PLWDs to start businesses.

She said they had offered training on best business practices and marketing strategies to be competitive in the market environment.

Tutume District Performance Improvement Coordinator, Mr Jimmy Makhado said it was important to end misconception that PLWDs needed sympathy.

He thus said there was need for people to change their mindsets in order to accept PLWDs as capable members of the society. ENDS