By Libuseng Nyaka
QWAQWA – The use of a raffle to select people to be employed on a road construction project has been hailed as transparent by residents of ward 7, but people living with disability bemoan ‘being left out’.
“Even though I am not among the 40 lucky people who will be working on the road, I am satisfied in the manner in which this selection was conducted. It was just a matter of luck. I tried, maybe next time I will be lucky,” said Joseph Mokena.
But a wheelchair-bound Sipho Tsipetse said as persons living with disability they felt left out as no one even bothered about them as everyone queued for a piece of paper that was going to be used to determine winners during a raffle.
“Unfortunately, with the hope that we would also be considered and accommodated, no one cared; it was a survival of the fittest. How do I queue on a wheelchair? There so many things that a person on a wheelchair can do.
“We would be happy if we had this opportunity. It would empower us as persons living with disability to show that we too can. I thought maybe people living with disability will be remembered especially when we had availed ourselves.”
Tsipetse said he might be wheelchair bound, but there are many opportunities that he can fit in this recruitment.
“For instance , I can work there to control traffic ,my job will be just to hold a red flag indicating to the vehicles when it is time to go and stop. Or I can even use signs to control traffic. We were really hopeful.”
Another person living with disability, a partially blind Makhosazana Masibuku, said besides having so many qualifications under her belt she is struggling to get employed and thinks the Equity Act is not practical.
“I have done bookkeeping, tourism management, business administration and computer literacy, I love education and studying. At the same time, I have a registered company but here I am looking for a job at a raffle. Like my brother Sipho, we are human too; it is just that we do things differently.”
The recruitment of 40 people who will work on roads started very late at around 6 pm but because of high unemployment more than 1500 residents waited patiently at Dithotaneng intermediate school until MEC Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae arrived.
Sitting in his wheelchair Sipho Tsipetse alongside partially blind Makhosazana Mazibuko.
Everyone who attended the meeting was allowed to participate in a raffle but only the lucky ones got the job.
Letsoha-Mathae, told the residents that the reserved number will focus on people who will be identified through royal houses.
“This includes persons living with disability and child headed households.”
Ward 7 councillor Matshediso Mofokeng who also attended the meeting said hers was to ensure that the recruitment is not politicized ed and everybody gets a chance.
“Things nearly get out of order, but I was quick to call them to order . There are some individuals who wanted to turn this event into a campaign . They were busy making residents sign some forms.” she said.
