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WHAT A WASTE: Damaged wheelchairs have been piling up at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital since the workshop closed in May. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO

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Those wheelchair-bound are faced with the challenge of paying for the repairs because the department has not paid service providers contracted to do the work required. Two of these service providers said they were owed nearly R500000 in total.

Paralysed Mojalefa Motsepe, 38, is one of the destitute, disabled people who constantly keeps his eye on the battery power gauge of his wheelchair, dreading that the red light will start flashing.

"My wheelchair is my life," he said. "Without it I feel like I'm under house arrest because I can't go outside my room. I bash against the walls and struggle on inclines because I can only use one arm."

Motsepe is one of 50 wheelchair-bound residents at StGiles Home for the Physically Disabled in Kensington, Johannesburg.

About 14 StGiles residents urgently need repairs to their wheelchairs. Their R1200 disability grant covers only their accommodation needs.

StGiles social support officer Di Hasapi said her office is piling up with quotes they can't afford. "To fit two new batteries costs R2000."

Nonpayment by the department has crippled companies such as Siyalinda Ngconjana's Wheel-chair Repair Company, which worked from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital workshop.

Ngconjana claims he is owed R91000 for work done from July last year. He shut the workshop down in May after many battles with the department.

"I couldn't take it. There were lots of people coming to us wanting help but we did not have spares or money," he said. "I had kids to think about. I ended up working as a taxi driver just to make ends meet."

Rodney Outram, whose company, CE Mobility is also contracted by the department to fix wheelchairs, was owed just over R1-million a few months ago. The department has paid off more than half and the company is now owed about R400000.

"I now only repair wheelchairs whose invoices have been approved by the government," Outram said.

Gauteng health spokesman Simon Zwane said: "The department has made progress in ensuring that all companies who rendered services are paid."

He said the contracts of 11 workshops that repair wheelchairs would be renewed "so they can resume rendering services soonest".

• This article was first published in the printed newspaper and eEdition on 30 August 2012. Click on this link to view the eEdition

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Mon May 20 09:46:14 SAST 2013 ::

Sep 1, 2012

skwamasamabele

Disabled people can contribute a lot to the country's economy and GDP. Why cant the govt train disabled people to build and repair their own appliances? They can also be trained to build disabled accesses to buildings, transport systems as well as various other projects like child and senior citizens care. They can also drive trains and develop computer models for school children
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Sep 3, 2012

somaartakeit

"Batho pele" my foot!!!!
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Sep 3, 2012

CYBORICO

hey its their mode of transport they should fix their own, nobody pays for my car service, nor for puting a new sole on my shoes, cumon now, the same disabled want to be seen and treated as normal, well normal people oay for their need they dont wait for the gorvenment to misuse my tax on personal needs
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Sep 3, 2012

kaykay2

whats new?????
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