First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday engaged the
disabled with a view of finding ways of improving their welfare.
She interacted with them and listened to their grievances,
chief among them stigma and discrimination.
It also came out during the meeting that members of this
community were failing to make headway owing to non-coherence and the existence
of too many representative groups.
Some of the representatives said some of their members were
not forthcoming on the formation of a collective body and called on the First
Lady to intervene with ideas and strategies as their mother.
The First Lady pledged to support the community and advised
them to form one solid organisation to make it easier for those who would want
to help them to do so.
“I am aware that you are facing a number of challenges and
I have come here today to open up ways of communicating with you and also let
you know that I can support you,” she said.
“My problem all along has been that I receive a lot of
requests from a number of your organisations, various groups of people and also
individuals. In this regard, I want us to come up with a strategy of
communicating and better ways of supporting you. Let us put our heads together
and come up with solutions.”
The First Lady commended the New Dispensation for
supporting people living with disabilities.
“Historically, persons with disabilities have never been
treated as normal human beings and this attitude has continued since ancient
history and even up to now, their rights and dignity is still not respected by
many,” she said.
“Persons with disabilities have suffered all types of
segregation throughout different phases of history. We can only learn from the
past in dealing with the current and future problems. Government under the New
Dispensation has gone a step further by creating an inclusive society for all,
where persons with disabilities and non-disabled people share the same
community services.
“This New Dispensation is about new ideas, doing things
differently and instead of begging, crying and asking for sympathy, we stand up
to be empowered to live our own lives with confidence.
“Government will continue to ensure that persons with
disabilities are protected from all forms of discrimination, harm and enjoy
unlimited access to all facilities in society.”
The First Lady donated various equipment used by the
disabled and handed them to Dr Joshua Malinga, the Special Advisor on
Disability Issues in the President’s Office.
She urged him to distribute them to members who are in
need. Dr Malinga thanked the First Lady for her love and support towards people
living with disabilities.
“I believe that after this meeting, there will be change in
the way the disabled are treated.
“Disability is still treated with fear and ignorance and
Amai is concerned about the situation of the disabled in the country. We should
treat this meeting as the beginning of the end of our problems,” he said.
He said the disabled community should put their house in
order and organise themselves and form leadership committees from the village
level up to the national level.
Speaking at the same event, Public Service, Labour and
Social Welfare Minister Sekai Nzenza said Government is committed to
fulfilling, promoting and protecting the rights of the disabled.
In an interview, Mr Timothy Mudarikwa director of Zimbabwe
Association of the Visual Handicapped said: “We have seen the First Lady doing
a lot for the vulnerable community and as the disabled, we were also yearning
for her attention. Today she has brought us together and adopted us as her children.
We are rest assured that our issues will be heard.”
Director of Kukura Neshungu School of the Disabled Ms
Tabeth Sibanda added: “Let us have common ground on communication so that our
groups work in synergy and speak with one voice.”
Meanwhile, the First Lady is set to tour rural health
centres in Matabeleland South Province tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.
She will also visit Nugget Mine in Matobo where five miners
died after a tunnel collapsed.
In an interview, Matabeleland South Provincial
Administrator Ms Sithandiwe Ncube said the First Lady was set to tour Hlangano
Clinic in Umzingwane and Natisa Clinic in Matobo on Friday and attend a Family
Fun Day to be held at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda on Saturday.
Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Matabeleland
South Provincial deputy director Mr Elphas Siziba said there were a number of
sporting activities that were lined up for the Fun Day to be held on Saturday.
He said the event would provide an opportunity for women and young girls to
interact with the First Lady and for her to see them through sports. Herald
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