Adopt a mindset change on disability

Ratidzai Matumbura

VICTORIA FALLS – An official from the Office of the President and Cabinet on Monday encouraged the Victoria Falls community to adopt a fundamental paradigm shift of the mindset in their dealings and interactions with people living with disabilities.

 Addressing a group of persons living with disability who had gathered at the Chinotimba Hall, during a community interaction workshop, the Special Advisor on matters of disability to the President, Senator Dr Joshua T Malinga emphasised that the plan that is in place for the welfare of persons with disabilities will ensure that Zimbabwe achieves its Vision 2030.

“The plan for disability issues in Zimbabwe will ensure that Zimbabwe realises her Vision 2030 which will see a prosperous and  empowered middle income society by the year 2030. This plan calls for a fundamental shift of the mindset for a better, progressively inclusive society where persons with disabilities are recognised and respected,” he said.

Dr Malinga made a clarion call for all persons with disability to converge, and champion their cause as a collective rather than individually.

“All the persons with disability should have unity of purpose. We must all work together in order to achieve our goals,” he said.    

During the plenary session, attendees complained of being discriminated against in the allocation of stands for houses and businesses. 

“We as people with disabilities are supposed to get  15% stake on every project. However, this quota system has largely been ignored in many projects. Just like in other projects, we are also shunned when it comes to the allocation of stands. We also want house stands as well as business stands,” said Stanford Mwela. 

Another resident said that there is a need to build public toilets, restaurants and other amenities that can help persons with disabilities to generate income without having to beg from other people.

‘’We would appreciate it greatly if the government helps us by building restaurants and public toilets which are user friendly to persons with disabilities and can be operated by us. We don’t want to continue to beg for help from other people just because we have disabilities. We should have our own income generating projects, “ she said. 

A director in the office of the Special Advisor on disability issues to the President, Macnon Chirinzepi said that the team was continuing with its community interactions and disability mapping in Hwange and Binga. As the curtain came down on the meeting, attendees were grateful recipients of bags of rice and other goodies