People living with disabilities have expressed concern over government’s reluctance on implementing policies and promises that were made to the electorate.
This was said at a media briefing held by disability activists and Deaf Women Included in Harare today, where they were petitioning the government to honor its long promise on domesticating the United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Zimbabwe.
“People living with disabilities are facing many problems, they are not considered on decision making either in homes or at national level. Government has said a lot of promises during the pre-election period, but up to date nothing tangible has been put to place.
“We have not even seen signs, at least, on government’s willingness to implementing the 10% housing allocation to people with disabilities,” said Naspah Manyawu a diability activist.
They also lobbied for government to implement UNCRPD into law, but cried out on the small to no representation of people with disabilities in the government citing that it will detain the implementation of their wish.
“We are not only pushing the government to abide with UNCRPD but we also want them to implement it as a law. However, because of small to no representation of people with disabilities in both government and parliament, it may take edges for this to come to pass considering that no one among these politicians is conscious to our bill,” said Samantha Sibanda.
Meanwhile, addressing a women’s breakfast meeting last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he did not include anyone with disability in his cabinet because there are no people with disabilities who made it into parliament, since a majority of cabinet ministers should come from parliament.
