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People living with disability plot demo

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PEOPLE living with disabilities have threatened to picket Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa’s offices today and hand in a petition compelling the government to uphold the Disabled Persons Act of 1992, among other grievances.

PEOPLE living with disabilities have threatened to picket Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa’s offices today and hand in a petition compelling the government to uphold the Disabled Persons Act of 1992, among other grievances.

By Tatenda Chitagu

Riot police trucks parked at Belgravia Shopping Centre on standby to quell any protests during the graduation ceremony at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday
Riot police trucks parked at Belgravia Shopping Centre on standby to quell any protests during the graduation ceremony at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday

The protest is organised by the Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (Dact) to raise awareness on disability rights, while also commemorating the International Week for the Hearing Impaired.

Dact executive director Henry Chivhanga, said their demonstration has been cleared by the police.

“This is to raise awareness on disability rights. We are saying the disabled’s rights are human rights issues,” he said.

“We are not a welfare or charity group. We will hand a petition to Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa, as well as Masvingo mayor Hubert Fidze.”

Issues in the petition include the need to observe the Disabled Persons Act of 1992, as well as demands for a disabled quota in educational institutions.

“The Disabled Persons Act has not been implemented 24 years down the line,” Chivhanga said.

“We also demand equal employment opportunities. We should be treated as equal partners in business opportunities, as well as given equitable resource allocation.”

Dact vice-president, Simeon Mapengo, a veteran educationist, said the education curriculum needs to include training of teachers in special needs, while schools’ infrastructure should be friendly to the physically challenged.

“There are challenges at schools, many of which are not suitable for people with disabilities. They are not catered for in terms of infrastructure like buildings, toilets and teaching staff,” he said.

Mapengo called on the government to introduce grants for the sector to economically empower people living with disabilities.