PEOPLE with disabilities have applauded the government and its partners for committing to strengthening disability inclusion through devolving support structures that ensure implementation and monitoring of the disability policy.
This Monday saw representatives of people with disabilities in Masvingo meeting with government officials and partners for a provincial disability policy capacity building workshop centred on disability inclusion in all development programmes.
The programme saw the formulation of a provincial technical committee, a development applauded as a step towards the decentralisation of disability policy implementation.
“Today’s programme is a huge step towards the implementation and monitoring of the National Disability Policy. The committee we are forming today is expected to serve as a vital platform for inclusion, ensuring that the voices and rights of persons with disabilities are not only heard but acted upon,” a participant said.
“We want to thank our President Emmerson Mnangagwa for being a listening President who is making sure that no one and no place is left behind. The National Disability Policy is no longer just a paper, but we are going to see its implementation, hence we are looking forward to the empowerment of people with disabilities,” a beneficiary said.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Ezra Chadzamira, said the government remains committed to inclusive development.
“As provided for in Section 4 of the National Disability Policy, let me buttress the significance of establishing a disability focal unit or focal point in all Government Ministries and Agencies, hence the reason why we are all gathered here in this capacity building workshop as focal persons. The approach enables the Government of Zimbabwe to create an enabling environment under which the needs and concerns of persons with disabilities are addressed in every sector, and across all Thematic Working Groups of the National Development Strategy One, in line with His Excellency Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
Partners, including United Nations agencies, hailed the initiative as a step towards mainstreaming disability rights.
“Today is a significant milestone for the disability programme in Zimbabwe because we are establishing the fifth of the coordination committees for the provinces to coordinate disability policy implementation at the provincial level. This will take implementation to the provinces and the districts closer to the people, where issues are happening and where issues need to be addressed. The formulation of a provincial technical committee is a game changer, and this new body will ensure that disability is prioritised across all sectors in the province,” Project Technical Team Member of the United Nations Joint Programme on Disability, Ms Tafadzwa Muvingi said.
The National Disability Policy launched by the government in 2021, outlines a framework for protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities.
