The Awards recipients of the 2024 cohort
By Simon Manda
3 December 2024- The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) proudly celebrated the recognition of three of its affiliates at the prestigious 2024 Gauteng Disability Rights Excellence Awards held at Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg.
This annual event that has become a key pillar in rewarding achievements and creating an inclusive society in Gauteng Province and in particular recognizing successes against the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Board Chairperson of the NCPD, Alex Msitshana’s Deaf Empowerment Firm (DEF) got a nod in the top four of the Disability Business Excellence categories. DEF, a transformative social enterprise, has been instrumental in integrating Deaf persons into corporate South Africa through innovative diversity and inclusion solutions. The firm’s success stems from its comprehensive approach to transformation, creating value propositions with tangible outputs while ensuring sustainable integration of Deaf persons within corporate environments and communities.
As a level 1 BEE participant, Access Human Solutions (AHS), run by NCPD Development Partner Lubabalo Mbeki, received a silver certificate in the same category.
“”I am deeply humbled to receive this silver award at the Gauteng Premier Disability Rights Awards for business excellence. I dedicate this honour to Ms. Therina Wentzel, the National Director of NCPD, who not only nominated me, but has believed in me since day one. Her support through Access Human Solutions’ challenging times has been invaluable. Special thanks to Dr. Christa Bonnet, Founder of The Difference Makers, for her mentorship and to my dear friend Zukiswa Nzo for her continued support. This recognition isn’t just mine – it belongs to everyone who supported this journey. I hope it inspires other entrepreneurs, showing that their remarkable work will be recognized and celebrated,” noted Mbeki.
AHS offers premium recruitment, accessibility, transportation, and safety solutions in workplaces with a goal of ensuring equal and full participation of persons with diverse abilities in various organisations.
Building on the successes of NCPD, Simon Manda, of THISABILITY Newspaper, was conferred on the Top 5 places in the Media and Communication Excellence Award, for his excellent work in disability representation in the media. Manda has been instrumental in promoting awareness of disability through comprehensive media coverage. Manda is also the NCPD’s Casual Day Public Relations Project Lead. The multimedia platform of THISABILITY has emerged as an important dissenting voice in advocating for authentic and inclusive representation of people with disabilities.
“I recognize the efforts of those who are leading the charge for disability rights. This event also serves to promote awareness for community partnership and to drive hope for the future where persons with disabilities can have the same opportunity to succeed and thrive. To companies and employers, we want to remark that inclusion is not a challenge -it is business equality. Persons with disabilities have unique skills, different perspectives and creativity to contribute to the workplace. Let us work to create environments that accommodate and celebrate diversity,” remarked the Acting Premier of Gauteng, Lebogang Maile in his keynote speech.
The Gauteng Disability Rights Excellence Awards, designed to commend exemplary work in disability rights and inclusion, have become the standard against which promoting disability rights work can be measured. The awards recognize people and entities that have shown outstanding dedication to the building of an accessible and inclusive society in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other awards categories that were recognised included;
Social Transformation Excellence Award
Disability Rights Equity Award
Disability Business Excellence Award
Media and Communication Excellence Award
Disability Service Excellence Award
Disability Research and Development Excellence Award
Disability Rights Best Practice Award
Disability Rights Lifetime Achiever Award
Premier’s Special Award for Excellence
More Images from the Awards
