THE National Council for the Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe (NCDPZ) has accused the inclusive government of neglecting the rights of people living with disabilities. Report by Blondie Ndebele Own correspondent
In a statement released on Monday, NDCPZ interim president Obadiah Moyo said the government had been reluctant to ratify the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities “yet other countries in the Sadc region have ratified it”.
“Lack of ratification of this important convention is a clear message to Zimbabweans that our inclusive government does not recognise, respect and subscribe to inclusive societies,” he said.
Moyo said the NCDPZ had made several appeals to the government, but to no avail.
He said the government had since independence “massively expanded many sectors such as education, health and housing without correspondingly supporting the disability sector”.
“The development of inclusive communities became the sole responsibility of poorly resourced disability institutions, struggling to raise money for the salaries of their staff,” Moyo said.
He said the Disabled Persons Act of 1992 “has remained silent and lacks implementation”.
“The poor social and economic status of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe has contributed to their segregation and exclusion when it comes to education, employment and general living conditions,” Moyo said.
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“We appeal to the government and communities to remove all barriers that perpetuate the exclusion of persons with disabilities.”
NCDPZ celebrated the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Monday under the theme Removing Barriers to Create an Inclusive Society.
