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Background
DEC is an empowerment investment trust established to engage in business ventures in the context of Black Economic Empowerment (“BEE”). DEC is at once a financial sustainability strategy for the under-lying beneficiary NGOs, and an innovative programme to promote the economic empowerment of people with disabilities. DEC’s activities are made possible by the favourable policy environment created by the Integrated National Disability Strategy (“INDS”) White Paper and the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Strategy. Black disabled people are one of the ‘designated groups’ especially targeted by the BBEEE strategy. The INDS calles for the integration of people with disabilities into all aspects of society, including the economy. Empowerment Credentials
DEC is fully compliant with the DTI Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice Rules for Broad-Based Ownership Schemes and Trusts. Accordingly, companies may claim 100% black, 50% black women ownership and approximately 40% black youth ownership scorecard points in terms of the Codes in respect of any shareholding held by DEC. The ultimate beneficiaries of DEC are the South Africans with disabilities who receive services from DEC’s underlying NGOs. An independent study to establish the national prevalence of disability in South Africa was commissioned by the Liberty Foundation and carried out by the University of Johannesburg in 2005, focussing on the service base of the DEC beneficiary organisations. The study found that there are over 2 million South Africans with disabilities, of whom 52% are women. While the study did not disaggregate the number by race, reports to DEC by the beneficiary organisations indicate that as much as 90% of the people benefiting from services are black people. Government’s Strategy for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
Attached is a letter obtained from the Presidency in May 2006 to establish some certainty about DEC’s empowerment credentials in the run-up to the finalisation of the DTI BBBEE Codes.
Top Beneficiary Organisations
Each of these national NGO’s have provincial and local member organisations, affiliates and beneficiaries that reach the vast majority of South Africans with disabilities.
Ownership and Control
DEC is effectively owned and controlled by its seven permanent beneficiary organisations who appoint the DEC Board of Trustees, which currently consists of the following:
Of the fourteen Trustees, eleven are black, six are women and nine are themselves people with disabilities.
Ms Portia Loyilane, Chairperson of the DEC Board of Trustees, obtained her B.Comm degree at the University of Fort Hare in 1982 and Higher Education Diploma at UNISA in 1988. At the moment, she is studying towards the MPhil in Disability Studies with the University of Cape Town.
Ms Loyilane was appointed a full-time Commissioner on the Commission on Gender Equality in June 2007. She previously worked in the Office of the Premier in the Eastern Cape where she operated the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons. She became active in the disability movement from 1991 and holds several leadership positions. She is National Treasurer of Disabled People SA and Deputy Chairperson of the board of trustees of the Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled Persons.
The DEC Investment Holding Company (Pty) Ltd, which holds and manages the investments of the DEC Trust, is wholly owned by the Trust, and the DEC Trustees set the company’s policies and appoint the Board of Directors. The following currently serve on the Board: Dr William Rowland (Chairperson)
Of the eight Directors, five are black and four are black women, one of whom is also an Executive Director. All are people with disabilities.
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Legal Notice