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Programme Director
MEC Candith Mashego-Dlamini
Our guest of Honourable Deputy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica
Member of Parliament the Honourable Joseph Mzondeki
His Worship Executive Mayor Jerry Ngomane
His Worship Mayor Isaiah Khoza
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Today is International Day of Disabled Persons. It is a day for acknowledging those among us whose daily lives includes the realities of a disability. It is therefore a privilege and an honour for me to be part of these celebrations aimed at raising awareness on disability issues. Let me add that it is also a day on which we need to continue in our quest to firmly locate disability at the centre of development.

Programme Director, for the past month we in this province have been busy with a programme for the disability month with the participation of government officials and the disability sector aimed at increasing service delivery for persons with disabilities.

More than 150 officials organised themselves and went to provide services to persons with disabilities and children in various areas that include Marapyane, Dullstroom, Driefontein, Kromdraai, Mananga and Luphisa.

It is with great appreciation to mention to this august gathering that services provided included registration of identity documents, birth certificates, disability grants, provision of wheelchairs, application for low cost housing, information on crime prevention, disability rights, replacement of doors, electoral education and many more other services from various departments.

During the week of 3 to 7 November the Department of Health provided 120 wheelchairs, 700 identity documents (ID) applications and 244 birth registration were made by the Department of Home Affairs and 119 disability grants were approved just to mention a few. A detailed comprehensive report with regard to this service delivery innovation project will be made available in due course. All these further confirm our commitment in increasing access to services for persons with disabilities.

A few days ago we gathered in Nelspruit to honour people with disabilities who contributed in improving the lives of other people. People with a disability are often attributed with qualities such as 'courage', 'bravery' and 'determination'.

For many these are unwelcome words. What about 'interesting' or 'loving' or descriptions that reflect internal qualities such as intelligence, sensitivity, empathy, a sense of vision or creativity?

That is why in saluting our people during the Excellence Awards we further confirmed that we recognise that people with disabilities are an essential asset in our communities and therefore should be given the opportunity to contribute in society's development.

In this province we will always appreciate and salute our heroes and heroines who - without putting themselves first - worked hard to put the needs and interests of the community first. It is therefore my earnest call to all people with disabilities to join hands with other people with disabilities and communities in order to build a better life for all!

Programme Director, we appreciate that there are still major challenges that face society. These challenges include changing our own attitudes and how we perceive persons with disabilities.

Society should stop viewing people with disabilities as objects of pity and poverty. We also have to stop viewing people with disabilities as mere recipients of handouts and charity but rather that people with disabilities are an asset and a massive human resource, which we all have to tap from in order to build a sustainable and stable economy.

I therefore call upon all of us to work together, in unity and create an environment conducive for people with disabilities in order for them to be totally liberated.

Allow me to thank the private sector in our province for the sterling work they are doing in supporting our programmes. More than nine companies are actively participating in the Mpumalanga Premier's Disability Achiever Awards.

It is therefore my humble request to all private sector companies to invest in the Mpumalanga Province. A request to companies to assist and work with Government and create jobs, combat illiteracy and poverty and many associated odds.

Programme Director, the focus of this year's celebrations is for all of us to acknowledge our achievements and celebrate our victories as we move towards our decade of democracy. We urge all people in the province to actively demonstrate our commitment to the noble agenda of the Africa Decade of Disabled Persons.

As the province of Mpumalanga we support the national and international processes aimed at the development of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities because we are convinced it is genuine and will put disability at the heart of global development.

As we accelerate transformation for the empowerment of persons with disabilities and celebrate disability in our decade of democracy let us therefore unite into a force, which is indivisible. A united front, which further strives for equality and equity that ultimately has the objective of building the nation.

May I conclude by saying that all of you in this august gathering are very special and that your contribution is very much appreciated and applauded.

As we indulge ourselves and enjoy the festive season let us all remember that HIV/AIDS kills and knows no boundary. This means that the disease doesn't discriminate because of disability and therefore let's practice safe sex.

Lastly, lets all arrive alive wherever we are going. Therefore let us not drink and drive, speed kills; if you don't die you become disabled and therefore it is not in any way our intention to increase the numbers of people with disabilities.

Let us all enjoy and celebrate.

I thank you!

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga Provincial Government

3 December 2003