Question NW3338 to the Minister of Human Settlements

Reply:

The National Department of Human Settlements has not been able to meet the set target of 2% for persons with disabilities. Currently, the department is at 1, 2% of persons with disabilities.

The reason for not achieving the set minimum disability target is multifaceted, for instance, the department has been faced with a challenge of retaining some of its employees with disabilities, as they left for positions in other departments as well as the private sector. This has resulted in a drop in the number of employees with disabilities employed in the department. However, this challenge is not peculiar to the department, but it is a government wide challenge that necessitated the government to conduct a survey in which the department participated, on the movement of people with disabilities in the Public Service in January 2015. It is hoped that the outcome of the survey will shed light on some of the challenges faced by government in general, and the Department of Human Settlements in particular.

Further, the Department has not been advertising due to the moratorium on the filling of vacant posts. But, my Department intends to address the mentioned challenges by establishing partnerships with Disabled People Organisations (DPOs) in order to advance the recruitment of suitably qualified people with disabilities. Furthermore, the training and development of employees with disabilities has been prioritised as a means of retaining and promoting their upward mobility. We intend to ensure that adequate assistive devices are provided.