​On Thursday, 28 November 2024,  the Acting Head of the Gauteng Department of Social Development Mr. Bongani Ngomane received a Provincial Draft Policy report on Social Development Services to Persons with Disabilities from Kenny Maluleke from the National Department of Social Development.
The handover of the provincial report was held at the Southern Sun Hotel in Sandton, Central Corridor, and was attended by various stakeholders and People with Disabilities.

The handover comes after the twenty-seven provincial public hearings conducted by the Department of Social Development. The report includes valuable insights into the service delivery challenges and opportunities of creating an inclusive and accessible society for all in Gauteng.

Ms. Khanyisile Mathebula, Director for Special Needs and Services to Families in the province said the aim of the report is to provide a high-level action plan for addressing these service delivery issues at provincial level and highlight the key issues and challenges that emerged during the consultations.

Before the handing over of the report it was presented to guests by Ms. Molamu from the National DSD and followed by questions from the floor. In addressing the stakeholders, she emphasized that she and others started the journey of drafting the policy long time ago before the white paper.

“For this report we visited different provinces to get their inputs and today we are glad that we can handover the report to Mr. Ngomane. One primary objective of the report is to outline the high-level action to be taken by the Department in collaboration with other government departments to address the needs of the Disability sector within the province,” says Molamu.

However, Maluleke says the report was approved by the cluster committee and it will soon be submitted to parliament for them to develop a Bill which will assist in approaching the Treasury.

“We are humbled and pleased to be given the opportunity to come and receive this valuable report. We have a forum for Persons with Disabilities in the Department therefore we would like to include the private sector to be part of it,” Ngomane concluded.

Mr. Zain Bulbulia from Premier’s Office welcomed the report, and said they are looking forward to implementing it with other government departments. “We are hoping that the report will guide and bring the change to the people living with Disabilities because currently there are only few who are employed by government,” said Bulbulia.