Mandela’s legacy spurs people to make a difference
THE legacy of late Struggle icon and former president Nelson Mandela still resonates in each one of us as we continue to effect change in our communities.
This was the view of Sarah Choane, deputy director-general of group systems and support services at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Choane was delivering her keynote speech at the Nelson Mandela Day centenary celebrations in Bronkhorstspruit, near Pretoria.
The DTI’s Disability Forum organised a trip for staff members to spend a portion of their day with children from the Sizanani Children’s Home to present two wheelchairs and hand out food and toiletries.
“We really appreciate the legacy of Mandela and his having shown us as a nation that we need to reach out to others,” Choane said.
“As human beings we must never be satisfied with what we are as individuals, and we must always have compassion for others.
She pointed out that the DTI had played a significant role with its approach to dealing with disability in terms of human rights.
“We as the department have a strong foundation of reaching out to people who are physically tested. We pride ourselves on being one of the departments that has exceeded the target set up by the cabinet to employ people with disabilities,” she pointed out. The cabinet set a target of 2%, but we are standing at 3.61%, which shows that we are committed to empowering previously disadvantaged people in our community, especially those who are mentally and physically challenged,” Choane added.
The general manager of Sizanani, Carl Busquet, commended the department. “I believe the DTI has taken a step forward, and that this is a starting point for the future. “We are going to have a good friendship with a lot of staff members. And we thank them for what they have done for us,” he said.
Sizanani Children’s Home was founded in 1993 by a Catholic priest, Father Charles Kuppelwieser.
It is a non-profit organisation catering for 66 orphaned and abandoned children and youth between the ages of 4 and 34 with severe to profound physical and intellectual disabilities.
After members of the DTI’s Disability Forum visited the home, they took it upon themselves to continue being agents of change by procuring wheelchairs and requesting other employees to assist with non-perishable food, toiletries, adult disposable nappies, cleaning materials and laundry chemicals to aid the disadvantaged children. Sidwell Medupe Spokesperson Department of Trade and Industry