News South Asia

The Department of Labour′s Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF) have finally been given legal status, which is good news for job creation for people with disabilities.

 

SEF has 12 factories in South Africa operating in seven provinces. The factories collectively employ some 1 100 people with disabilities, supported by 120 administrative, management and technical staff.

 

The factories manufacture furniture, textiles, metal and leather works, book binding and screen printing, among others.

 

Speaking during the department′s Public Employment Services (PES) Branch Management Committee (BMC) meeting in Pretoria recently, SEF CEO Silumko Nondwangu said the conferring of legal status on SEF is a step in the right direction.

 

"For the branch and the department, this is a good story to tell for an entity that had no legal status for a number of decades. For years, we have been operating on Memoranda of Agreement, which had to be revised from time to time," Nondwangu said.

 

He thanked the PES branch for the support it renders in creating work for people with disabilities.

 

In terms of the new Employment Services Act, SEF is to be renamed. Nondwangu said SEF is planning a launch of the new corporate identity.

 

SEF is also working with the Compensation Fund to implement the Compensation for Occupational and Diseases (Coida) Act for factory workers.