Government working tirelessly to accommodate people living with disabilities in Covid 19 programmes

Lance Chigodo Chronicle Reporter

THE Government has said it working flat out to accommodate people living with disabilities in Covid-19 programmes to ensure a holistic approach to the fight against the global pandemic.

People living with disabilities in Bulawayo had asked for more inclusion in Covid-19 related programmes where they feel they have been side-lined.

An activist for people living with disability, Mr Tsepang Nare, yesterday said little has been done to cater for the people in Bulawayo.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that people with disability, may be impacted more significantly by COVID-19. 

“Within Bulawayo Metropolitan there is exclusion and suppression of the critical voice of persons with disability. How do we join hands and fight against COVID-19 when a certain group is excluded? Right now, if you are to enquire from the authorities in the taskforce about disability related issues in connection to COVID-19 they cannot tell you much because they have no disability back ground,” he said.

 Mr Nare said it will not be easy to effectively assist the group if it is poorly represented and representation for the group has to be considered in Bulawayo.

The National Coordinator of the Federation of Organisations of Disabled People in Zimbabwe (FODPZ), Ms Elisa Ravengai said people with disability are not represented in the COVID-19 taskforce.

She said some people living with disabilities have failed to access Government aid because their organisations had not been contacted to avail data about them.

“Cash transfers were made to NetOne subscribers. Unfortunately, those who do not use the line could not get it. The ministry could not reach out to all vulnerable persons because of the absence of data and this has been a problem with regards to the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare.

The list of names was submitted to the ministry but it was done haphazardly and some deserving people could not get the aid,” she said.

Senator Rejoice Timire who represents persons with disability in Parliament said through Cde Joshua Malinga, the Special Advisor on Disability Issues in the President’s Office, advice and information on how to assist people with disability was dished out to various ministries.

“For sure the Government is overwhelmed but they are working on assisting everyone. Some have received cash transfers and food. Issues of information dissemination on the registration to receive aid are a challenge. Although we are not part of the taskforce, we are advocating for it,” said Timire.

In an interview the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Hon Monica Mutsvangwa spoke on the efforts to close the communication gap and assist all the vulnerable people including those living with disabilities.

“The Covid-19 pandemic struck as a disaster and without notice. As such Government did not have advance knowledge that the nation would be faced with such a disaster and that meant that there were no communication materials that were prepared in advance. The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services was jointly tasked with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to provide risk communication on the pandemic,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the two Ministries formed a Risk Communication Committee and engaged the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to package massages in braille. With regard to Sign Language, she said the Ministry made sure that all Risk Communication messages that are being packaged have a Sign language component.

“With regard to important national programmes, the Ministry through the Risk Communication Committee is working with the National Aids Council and the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust to put in place a mechanism where Sign Language specialists can feature on the programmes so they translate the proceedings to that language,” said the minister.

She said the availability of resources, securing the people with the requisite skills, creativity and overcoming time and space in getting the information where it is needed is also a challenge for most ministries however, they are working flat out to ensure we find solutions for timely dissemination.