Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM/’s) Division: Rural and Social Development has identified nineteen (19) old age homes and service centres to receive a donation of 37 wheelchairs and officially handed them over on the 3rd of November 2025. The handover took place at the Paarl Town Hall and is in response to a growing need in the public health platform.
The CWDM forms part of the District Health Forum where multiple partners are represented and matters of mutual concern are addressed. Through this forum the CWDM became aware that due to budgetary constraints, several patients were waiting for wheelchairs. The donation was made possible via the Rural and Social Development Programme, who set aside funding during the budgeting process specifically to help the most vulnerable in need of wheelchairs.
Cllr Minnie Petersen addressed the elderly representatives in attendance in-part with this message, “Een rolstoel maak ‘n verskil. Ons van die Kaapse Wynland, is hier om ‘n verskil te maak in ons gemeenskap se lewens, van jonk tot oud, mense met gestremdheid en mense sonder gestremdheid.
The CWDM remains committed to supporting the elderly, restoring mobility, and caring for the severely disabled or ill. The wheelchairs have been distributed to identified facilities that care for the elderly in the Cape Winelands.
“This is a wonderful initiative’, shared Executive Mayor of the CWDM, Ald (Dr) Elna von Schlicht, “wheelchairs and the resulting mobility they offer, give an element of independence and dignity to the patient. Furthermore wheelchairs, as is the case with many assistive devices, offer support to those caring for the patients. This project proves exactly why collaboration between government and multi-disciplinary platforms are so important.”
