The effects of local economic empowerment programmes on persons living with disabilities : a case of Lepelle-nkumpi local municipality of Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, as a developing state, persons with disabilities (PWDs) continue to experience marginalisation, inequality, and exclusion from economic interventions, which limits their participation in development. Unemployment among PWDs remains extremely high, particularly in rural areas. Despite the existence of inclusive and transformative policies, local economic development (LED) coordinated empowerment programmes have had limited impact on improving the economic participation and quality of life of PWDs. Many municipalities have not fully integrated disability issues into local development programmes, resulting in continued exclusion from social and economic opportunities. This study explored the effects of local economic empowerment programmes on PWDs in Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality in Limpopo. The study was motivated by the lack of empirical research on the effects of local economic empowerment programmes on PWDs within South African municipalities. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative data collected through structured questionnaires and qualitative data obtained through in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data were analysed using ATLAS.ti. The findings informed the development of an implementation framework for inclusive disability economic empowerment. The results show that PWDs are poorly represented in economic empowerment initiatives and face unequal access to economic opportunities. Both quantitative and qualitative findings confirm ongoing economic marginalisation linked to weak implementation of inclusive economic empowerment initiatives. Limited participation in empowerment programmes negatively affects the economic wellbeing of PWDs. The study also found a general lack of understanding of disability integration in economic projects. Further findings indicate fragmented knowledge on disability, limited recruitment of PWDs, and the presence of environmental, attitudinal, and educational barriers. The municipality lacks a comprehensive disability database, and project information is often inaccessible. Weak planning, ineffective monitoring and evaluation, limited strategic support, and poor policy implementation further hinder inclusion. The study concludes that poor representation, ineffective policy implementation, and limited understanding of disability contribute significantly to the economic exclusion of PWDs. The study findings contribute to policy, theory, and practice by supporting improved mainstreaming of disability in local economic development initiatives.

Ka Afrika Borwa, bjalo ka mmušo wo o hlabologago, bagolofadi (diPWD) ba tšwela pele go itemogela go kgaphelwa thoko, go se lekalekane, le go se akaretšwe go magatotokišo a ekonomi, tšeo di fokotšago go kgatha tema ga bona tlhabollong. Go hloka mešomo magareng ga diPWD go sa dutše go le godimo go fetiša, kudu dinagamagaeng. Ka ntle le go ba gona ga melawana ye e akaretšago le ya phetogo, mananeo a matlafatšo ao a rulagantšwego a tlhabollo ya ekonomi ya selegae (LED) a bile le khuetšo ye e lekanyeditšwego go kaonafatša go kgatha tema ya ekonomi le boleng bja bophelo bja diPWD. Mebasepala ye mentši ga se ya kopana ka botlalo ditaba tša bogolofadi mananeong a tlhabollo ya selegae, gomme seo sa feletša ka go se akaretše ka menyetleng ya leago le ekonomi. Nyakišišo ye e nyakišišitše ditlamorago tša mananeo a matlafatšo ya ekonomi ya selegae go di-PWD ka Masepaleng wa Selegae wa Lepelle-Nkumpi ka Limpopo. Nyakišišo ye e hlohleleditšwe ke go hloka dinyakišišo tša diphihlelelo ka ga ditlamorago tša mananeo a matlafatšo ya ekonomi ya selegae go di-PWD ka gare ga mebasepala ya Afrika Borwa. Tsela ya mekgwa ye e hlakantšwego e šomišitšwe, go kopanya dintlha tša boleng tšeo di kgobokeditšwego ka dipotšišo tše di beakantšwego le dintlha tša ya boleng tšeo di hweditšwego ka dipoledišano tše di tseneletšego. Dintlha tša boleng di sekasekile ka go šomiša SPSS, mola dintlha tša boleng di sekasekilwe ka go šomiša ATLAS.ti. Dikutollo di tsebišitše tlhabollo ya mokgwa wa motheo wo o ka dirišwago go phethagatšo matlafatšo ya ekonomi ya bogolofadi ye e akaretšago. Dipoelo di laetša gore diPWD ga di emelwe gabotse ka maikemišetšo a maatlafatšo ya ekonomi gomme di lebane le phihlelelo ye e sa lekanego ya menyetla ya ekonomi. Bobedi dikutollo tša khwanthithethifi le tša khwalithethifi di tiišetša go kgaphelwa thoko ga ekonomi mo go tšwelago pele mo go kgokagantšwego le phethagatšo ye e fokolago ya maitapišo a matlafatšo ya ekonomi ao a akaretšago. Go kgathatema go go nago le magomo mananeong a matlafatšo go ama gampe bophelo bjo bobotse bja ekonomi bja diPWD. Nyakišišo e hweditše gape tlhokego ya kwešišo ya kakaretšo ya kopantšho ya bogolofadi ka diprotšekeng tša ekonomi. Dikutollo tše dingwe di laetša tsebo ye e aroganego ka ga bogolofadi, go thwalwa go go nago le magomo go diPWD, le go ba gona ga mapheko a tikologo, maikutlo le vii thuto. Masepala o hloka polokelo ya tshedimošo ya bogolofadi ye e feletšego, gomme tshedimošo ya protšeke gantši ga e fihlelelege. Peakanyo ye e fokolago, tlhokomelo le kelo ye e sa šomego gabotse, thekgo ye e lekanyeditšwego ya maano, le phethagatšo ye mpe ya pholisi di šitiša gape go akaretšwa. Nyakišišo e phetha ka gore boemedi bjo bo fokolago, phethagatšo ya pholisi ye e sa šomego gabotse, le kwešišo ye nnyane ya bogolofadi di na le seabe se segolo go kgaphelweng ka ntle ga ekonomi ya diPWD. Dikutollo tša nyakišišo di na le seabe go pholisi, teori, le tirišo ka go thekga go tsenywa ga bogolofadi mo go kaonafetšego ka maitapišong a tlhabollo ya ekonomi ya selegae.

Eningizimu Afrika, njegombuso osathuthuka, abantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs) basaqhubeka nokubhekana nokubandlululwa, ukungalingani kanye nokungafakwa ngokugcwele ezinhlelweni zokungenelela kwezomnotho. Lokhu kunciphisa amathuba abo okubamba iqhaza ngokugcwele ezinhlelweni zentuthuko. Izinga lokungasebenzi kubantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs)lisalokhu liphezulu kakhulu, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisemakhaya. Naphezu kokuba khona kwezinqubomgomo ezihlose ukubandakanya wonke umuntu kanye nokuletha uguquko emiphakathini, izinhlelo zokuhlomisa umnotho ezihlelwa ngaphansi kohlelo lokuThuthukiswa koMnotho Wasekhaya (LED) zibe nomthelela omncane ekuthuthukiseni ukubamba iqhaza kwezomnotho kanye nezinga lempilo kubantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs). Omasipala abaningi abakakahlanganisi ngokugcwele izindaba ezithinta abantu abaphila nokukhubazeka njengengxenye yezinhlelo zabo zokuthuthukiswa kwendawo. Ngenxa yalokhu laba abaphila nokukhubazeka bayaqhubeka nokungabandakanywa emathubeni enhlalo yomphakathi kanye nawomnotho. Lolucwaningo luhlole imithelela yezinhlelo zokuhlomisa nokuthuthukisa umnotho wendawo kubantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs) kuMasipala Wasekhaya iLepelle-Nkumpi esifundazweni sase Limpopo. Lolucwaningo lugqugquzelwe ukuntuleka kwezifundo ezisekelwe ebufakazini ezihlola imithelela yalezi zinhlelo zokuhlomisa umnotho wendawo kubantu abaphila nokukhubazeka ngaphakathi komasipala baseNingizimu Afrika. Lolucwaningo lusebenzise indlela yocwaningo exubile, ehlanganisa izindlela zobuningi nezekhwalithi, ukuze kutholakale ukuqonda okubanzi ngesihloko okucwaningwa ngaso. Idatha yobuningi yaqoqwa kusetshenziswa imibuzo ehleliwe kanye nedatha yekhwalithi etholwa ngezingxoxo ezijulile. Idatha yobuningi yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa uhlelo lwezibalo olwaziwa njenge- Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), kanti idatha lekhwalithi yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa i- ATLAS.ti. Imiphumela yalolucwaningo ibe nomthelela ekwakhiweni kohlaka lokuqalisa nokusebenzisa izinhlelo ezibandakanyayo zokuhlomisa ngokwezomnotho abantu abaphila nokukhubazeka. Lolucwaningo luveza ukuthi abantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs) abamelelekile ngokwanele ezinhlelweni zokuhlomisa ngokwezomnotho futhi babhekene nokungalingani ekufinyeleleni kumathuba omnotho. Imiphumela yakho kubili okungokwezibalo kanye nekhwalithi, ikhombisa ukuthi ukuqhubeka kokucwaswa kwezomnotho kwabantu abaphila nokukhubazeka (PWDs) kuhlobene nokusetshenziswa okubuthakathaka kwezinhlelo zokuhlomisa ngokwezomnotho ezibandakanya wonke umuntu. Ukubamba kwabo iqhaza okunganele kulezi zinhlelo kuthinta kabi inhlalakahle yabo yezomnotho, kanti futhi lolucwaningo luthole ukungabi bikho kokuqonda okujwayelekile mayelana nokuhlanganiswa kokukhubazeka kanye nemiklamo yezomnotho. Okunye okutholwe ucwaningo kukhombisa ukuthi kunolwazi olungaphelele noluhlakazekile mayelana nezindaba zokukhubazeka, kanye nokuba khona kwezithiyo zemvelo, ezokuziphatha kwabantu, nezemfundo. Ucwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi umasipala awunalo ulwazi olugcwele noluhleleleke kahle lwabantu abaphila nokukhubazeka olugcinwe kwisizindalwazi esisodwa,ngaphezu kwalokho ulwazi mayelana nemiklamo nezinhlelo zokuthuthukisa umnotho luvame ukungafinyeleleki kalula kubantu abaphila nokukhubazeka, okunciphisa amathuba abo okubamba iqhaza kanye nokuzuza kulezizinhlelo. Lolucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi ukumeleleka okunganele kwabantu abaphila nokukhubazeka, ukusetshenziswa okuphambene kwezinqubomgomo, kanye nokuqonda okuncinyane ngezindaba zokukhubazeka kunomthelela omkhulu ekuqhubekeni kokungabandakanywa kwabo emathubeni ezomnotho.Imiphumela yalolucwaningo inegalelo elibalulekile kwinqubomgomo, emcabangweni wezifundo, kanye nasekwenzeni ngokweseka ukuhlanganiswa nokufakwa kwezindaba zokukhubazeka ngokugcwele ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukiswa komnotho wasekhaya.