The chairperson of the Municipality’s Governance and Human Resources Committee, Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala last week unveiled a fleet and evacuation chairs to enhance workplace inclusivity, equality, and eliminate barriers for employees with disabilities.
Image: SANELI MTHALANE
The eThekwini Municipality unveiled a fleet worth R1.3 million for People With Disabilities (PWDs) on Thursday March 20.
The fleet will allow employees with disabilities to perform their duties without restriction, eliminating working barriers. The unveiling of the fleet comes as the country commemorated Human Rights Day, reinforcing the city’s commitment to ensuring that all human rights are upheld and protected, including for PWDs.
Along with the fleet, evacuation chairs for employees with disabilities and pregnant women to be used during emergencies or in instances when lifts are not working, were introduced. Both the fleet and evacuation chairs are fitted with special features to accommodate various disability conditions and ensure accessibility to several areas, including municipal buildings.
Chairperson of the Governance and Human Capital Committee Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said the ceremony demonstrates the municipality’s commitment to improving workplace inclusivity and equality.
“This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the history of the country where parts of compliance have been shown to employees with special needs,” he said. “This is proof PWDs have an important contribution to make not only in the workplace, but also in ensuring the delivery of services in communities.”
Mr Madlala said though PWDs have not been totally integrated into mainstream employment, the municipality is proud of the progress it is making in this regard.
“While we are excited about this achievement, a lot needs to be done,” said Councillor Madlala. “Currently, the number of employees with disabilities in the municipality is 276. This is a work in progress as the municipality moves to achieve the target of employing 3% of PWDs as per the requirement by the Department of Labour.”
Simon Zwane, an employee with a disability, said this is a new development and achievement, especially for employees with special needs.
“This is a first step that shows progress in the municipality. It demonstrates inclusivity, diversity, and equality,” Mr Zwane said.
“As an employee with special needs, this initiative will make a huge difference in promoting equality in the workplace without limitation.
This is very exciting as it will enable employees with disabilities to access different areas in terms of mobility and contribute to the overall productivity of the municipality.”