Tender conning via disability claim slated

Delinquent “tenderpreneurs” pretended they had people living with disabilities as their company directors so that they could win government contracts. This emerged on Tuesday at the launch of this month’s disability awareness campaign in Polokwane. Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale, in a speech read out by Agriculture MEC Jacob Marule, described this as fraud. “Some use people with disabilities to access such benefits in a fraudulent manner,” said Mathale. He acknowledged that more efforts were still needed to ensure disabled people became active participants in the mainstream economy.

“Regardless of the fact that our procurement requirements are biased towards people with disabilities, many are not able to reach such benefits,” he said. “Those who use people with disability to enrich themselves must be exposed,” Mathale said. The launch was held at the Piet Joubert Special School. The principal, Nicolaas Pitersee, prided himself on his school’s practical-oriented curriculum. “When we talk about Outcomes-Based Education, we have been implementing it for the past 60 years,” said Pitersee. He said the school teaches motor mechanics, welding, electricity, woodwork, hairdressing, painting and needlework among others.

Pitersee said the school was negotiating with Further Education and Training (FET) colleges to offer their courses concurrently. “Courses that FETs offer for three months, we will do them for the whole year, but [pupils] will write external exams with the FETs so that they can fulfil the standards,” he said. The provincial government claimed that 2.3 percent of its workforce consisted of people with disabilities. Tebatso Mabitsela, the provincial spokesman, said this had surpassed the national 2 percent target set by the Employment Equity Act. There are 60 people with disabilities in the premier’s office. One of them is Selaelo Makgato, the senior manager of special programmes, who is blind.

Makgato said the premier’s office had four senior managers living with a disability. He cited inaccessible government buildings as one of the challenges confronting disabled people. “Especially the old buildings.” Makgato said provincial government departments had Braille printers for blind employees. Tukisho Serite, a 26-year-old woman, wants the government to improve working conditions for disabled people. Serite walks with crutches. “In terms of assistive devices, it takes forever to get them,” she said. The BA Communications graduate works as the communications officer in the provincial treasury. She has urged the government to employ more disabled youths. “But also, the government seems to be concentrating on employing people with the same disability,” said Serite.

Speaking at the same event, Education Department official Matsobane Mabote said he had chastised public schools for refusing to admit disabled pupils. “There is a misconception that a child with a disability must go to a special school,” he said. Mabote indicated that special schools were meant for pupils with highly special needs.