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By Elvis Dumba
Zvimba – Persons with disabilities are urging Parliament to speed up the enactment of the updated National Disability Policy into an Act since the current one has many gaps.
A National Disability Bill is currently before the august house to replace the 1992 Act.
Terrence Nyamazani, Founding Director of The Faith, Love, and Hope Community Trust made the call during a handover ceremony of wheelchairs to people with disabilities by Zvimba North Constituency legislator Marian Chombo at Morningside Farm in Mutsitswi near Raffingora.
“We are appealing for Parliament to speed up the enactment of the national disability policy into an act so that people living with disabilities do not lag behind in the active participation of the economy as well in ensuring that their rights are protected and their needs are met so that we move together in line with President Mnangagwa’s call of leaving no place or no one behind. The act will go a long way in ensuring that people with disabilities are viewed as important members of the community,” he said.
The Zvimba North Constituency legislator Marian Chombo said the government will ensure that no one will be left behind as the country gears itself to become a middle-income economy by the year 2030 with people with disabilities being accorded equal opportunities in all sectors.
“As the country moves to attain the middle-income economy status by the year 2030, people with disabilities should not be left out. Under the government led by President Emerson Mnangagwa, every person in the country is equal and should be accorded equal opportunities. We are hopeful that a new disability act will be signed into law since parliament is currently seized with the national disability bill and I hope very soon President will be signing it into law,” she said.
Chombo called upon parents of children with disabilities to accord them all the support they deserve and offer them opportunities for education amid reports that some parents conceal their children with disabilities who in turn fail to get support, ” she said.
She handed over some wheelchairs to elderly people with disabilities in the area.