Date: 02/11/2006
Source: Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Mchunu: Disabilities Consultative Forum


Opening remarks by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Speaker of the Legislature, Mr WT Mchunu, at a consultative forum with people with disabilities

On behalf of the KZN Legislature let me take this opportunity to welcome you for having made it to this consultative forum. The holding of this forum is indeed long overdue. We would have liked to host this meeting at an earlier date but our busy schedule prevented us from doing so. I hope that you will find it in your hearts to forgive us.

Chairperson, issues that affect people with disabilities are issues that affect all of us. Let me hasten to state that although a lot has been done in bringing issues of equality into mainstream politics, there is still a long way to go in honouring the promise of our Constitution, the promise of equality and justice for all.

The recently held People's Assembly in Kokstad correctly noted the following:
"People with disabilities are faced with a unique set of barriers to becoming self reliant, thus creating a cycle of dependency, segregation, isolation and exclusion. Disabled people have access to fewer resources, and experience greater difficulty in meeting their basic needs than their able-bodied counterparts. Difficulties in gaining access to basic needs, such as education (including skills development) and employment are compounded by the negative attitudes that are frequently directed at disabled people. Thus, disabled people experience discrimination in all aspects of life, resulting in their being more vulnerable to poverty and to economic dependence. This has a direct impact on life expectancy."

The KZN Legislature has taken concrete steps to address the systematic marginalisation of vulnerable groups. On an annual basis, we hold sectoral parliaments specifically to look at issues affecting the youth, workers and women. We do this deliberately because we do not want issues affecting these groups to be sidestepped by other broader issues of government. This is the same urgency that we seek to inculcate on issues affecting people with disability.

Today I want to commit this legislature to work closely with you in ensuring that issues that directly affect you are dealt with in a proper and open manner. We have no intention to adopt a paternalistic approach by assuming, in your absence, that these are issues that affect people with disabilities.

It is against this backdrop that I encourage you to discuss, at length, all the issues that affect disabled people.

We commit ourselves to report back to you on how we would have gone in addressing the issues to be raised here. We would want the interaction to be ongoing so that the issues are thoroughly addressed and recommendations implemented.

As I conclude, I want to assure you that the KZN Legislature is fully behind every effort that seeks to improve the lot of our hitherto vulnerable groups. I thank you.

Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
2 November 2006