Skumbuzo Dlala

I was a former rugby player and was injured when a scrum collapsed on me during a game at the Dan Qeqe Stadium in Port Elizabeth in 1988.

This happened when I was a 26 year old married father of 3 young children and I had been working as an electrician for more than 15 years. I found myself faced with huge financial difficulties as I still had the full responsibility of a family to take care of, able of disabled. I could not run away from this and decided to turn my skills as an electrician into a small business.

I opened up an electrical workshop at Veeplaas called SKUP’S ELECTRICAL & BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CC , near a taxi rank and have been in operation now for 1 and a half years. I employ four people, three males and one female from the community. I also provide training to school leavers so that they can benefit from practical knowledge. The service I provide to the community is repairs and maintenance of refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines as well as electrical installations. I use a very old 1976 model Datsun 620 model to collect and deliver from my clients, but even this is needing repairs and maintenance to keep it in running order.

I try my best to make my business successful and have applied to various institutions for financial assistance, as it is very difficult to run a business without funds. Up to now I have not received any and I have to continue to be patient.

I would like to take an electrical competency or trading test, but because of my disability I cannot do a practical test and all the theory is in my head, but this is my wish.

My message to other disabled people is that being disabled doesn’t mean you aren’t able to do what interests you, although it is a bigger challenge and there are many obstacles, just go and grab the opportunity made available and persevere with God’s help.