A Look at South African Bureaucracy...

Last week, we traveled to Pretoria, the political capital of South Africa, with Lubabalo and Lungelo from the National Council of People with Physical Disabilities of South Africa (NCPPDSA) to attend a meeting with Estelle Crawford of the South African Department of Labour. The relationship between the NCPPDSA and the Department of Labour focuses on decreasing the unemployment rate of people with disabilities. As stated, 99% of people with disabilities are unemployed, which makes them one of the most under-represented groups in the South African labour market. The Department of Labour has been subsidizing the salaries of several NCPPDSA employees, who work as career counselors by connecting people with disabilities with job opportunities throughout the country.

Officials from the Department of Labour criticized the contract with the NCPPDSA due to:

1) Its cost to the government
2) Its sustainability, or lack thereof.

The meeting was a means to discuss the relationship and to stress the need for the state’s continued support. At the end of the meeting, the Department of Labour agreed to continue subsidizing the salaries of the NCPPDSA workers. It is important to get South Africans employed, particularly those who have a disability. By getting people with disabilities into jobs, South Africa can move closer to living its legislated equality.