In a groundbreaking initiative, the Chief Matsila Foundation, in partnership with Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA), launched the Matsila Program for Persons Living with Disabilities.
The launch took place last Thursday (8 May) at Matsila village and was attended by community members, people living with disabilities, traditional leaders from surrounding villages, non-profit organisations, and dignitaries, including Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba and her MECs.
The event was graced by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth, and her deputy, Judith Nemadzinge-Tshabalala. Also present were the acting director-general, the commissioner for the Compensation Fund, the acting UIF commissioner, and many officials from the department.
Chief Livhuwani Matsila, the patron of the Chief Matsila Foundation, said the Matsila Programme for Persons Living with Disabilities had become essential as a tool to empower and equip persons living with disabilities within his community and surrounding areas. The program aims to provide the necessary tools, devices, equipment, and assets to alleviate their daily challenges and improve their potential to access employment and economic opportunities.
"Our experience is that persons living with disabilities in our communities are often denied access to employment and economic opportunities because they lack enabling equipment such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, braille devices, and other essentials that accommodate them in the workplace, at events, and in daily life. Most employers in many sectors, including government departments in South Africa, struggle to meet the prescribed target quota of 2% of their employees being persons with disabilities and providing the necessary enabling devices. A supportive environment would be a catalyst in this regard," he said.
The Chief Matsila Foundation has a database of more than 500 persons living with disabilities in its area and surrounding villages. In collaboration with RMA, the foundation has embarked on a programme to assess the specific needs of persons living with disabilities in their database.
"We have so far assessed 50 prioritised beneficiaries and compiled a comprehensive report that specifies the devices and equipment that should be tailored for each beneficiary. The assessments and the handing over of devices will be ongoing. We wholeheartedly thank the minister for this intervention," Matsila said.