Address by hon. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities during a webinar on upholding the rights of persons with disabilities
Distinguished Representatives of Persons with Disabilities in South Africa and across our African Continent
Distinguished Leaders of Organisations of and for Persons with Disabilities
Members of the Presidential Working Group on Disabilities
It is my honour to welcome you all to this important webinar meeting on upholding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under the overarching theme "Persons with Disabilities and COVID-19 South Africa"
You will recall that the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has been tasked with the overall mandate to drive the transformative national agenda that will create a South Africa which is truly inclusive of Persons with Disabilities.
The Department I lead is responsible for monitoring compliance with the rights of Persons with Disabilities during the National State of Disaster and Lock Down.
Government interventions at policy and legislative levels included the implementation of reasonable accommodation measures for the protection and safety of persons with disabilities during the national state of disaster and for the duration of the lockdown.
This first webinar provides Persons with Disabilities with a platform to strengthen constructive engagement with various stakeholders within the work streams process of the national command centre in order to improve disability inclusion in the COVID-19 disability response plan.
The Department will arrange extra webinars for all levels of the lockdown to consult Persons with Disabilities and strengthen accountability by Government as a duty bearer.
