×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

People with disabilities demand government representation

News
People living with disabilities (PWDs) have accused the government of failing to adequately cater for their needs as it does to other vulnerable groups such as youths and women.

People living with disabilities (PWDs) have accused the government of failing to adequately cater for their needs as it does to other vulnerable groups such as youths and women.

BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA

In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, the chairperson for National Disability Board, Crispen Manyuke, said disabled people wanted a ministry representing PWDs in order to understand the challenges they encounter.

“The Constitution talks about social and economic development efforts towards gender and youths, but when it comes to disability, they say budgets will be allocated if funds are available,” Manyuke said.

“We want job creation that stimulates employment of disabled persons and also encourage disabled persons to be businesspeople.

“We see them going outside the country with able-bodied people and they leave out able-bodied people. They do not think that disabled people can operate businesses.”

Visually-impaired Dick Deveranyika said people with disabilities do not have houses, jobs and other social prerequisites due to lack of full representation.

“Our government is not recognising us, it seems they do not see our existence,” Deveranyika said, adding: “We want a ministry that stands up for disabled people’s rights.”

He said that the establishment of a ministry for the disabled would make it easier to identify the challenges that disabled people where encountering to come up with solutions on how they could be helped.

Justice ministry official Leticia Moyo said they were consulting with PWDs so that they could structure their Bill.

“We are having these consultations countrywide. Last month, we were in Manicaland and Masvingo. We also had workshops of a similar nature in Marondera, Chinhoyi and Bindura. Since the Act (Disabled Act) was promulgated in 1992, it is now outdated and needs to be upgraded,” Moyo added.

Moyo said the Act needed to be aligned to the national Constitution, particularly paying attention to section 22 and the national objectives and section 83 where their rights are elaborated.