Chronicle Editor
Nobukhosi Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
MEMBERS of Parliament have called for the establishment of a Disability Commission that will ensure the plight of People With Disabilities (PWDs) are heard and adequately addressed.
This came out during the access to Information Communication Technology (ICTs), by people with disabilities Indaba that was facilitated by Signs of Hope Trust.
The Indaba brought together legislators, student representative council members from universities and other stakeholders.
Mr Daniel Mololeke, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, who is Member of Parliament for Hwange Central said it was high time disability matters were regarded as human rights and not charity issues.
“The establishment of a Disability Commission will ensure that disability issues are dealt with expeditiously in the country. Such a commission will have a stand-alone budget from the Treasury just like other independent commissions in the country,” he said.
His sentiments were supported by Mrs Beatrice Nyamupinga, the Member of Parliament for Goromonzi West, who said the envisaged Disability Commission would make it easy to source financial and material resources from development partners, apart from what they would be getting from Central Government.
“At the moment, we have Disability Affairs as a department in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Disability is no longer a welfare issue and it’s high time that we, as Parliament up our game and create a Disability Commission,” she said.
Mrs Nyamupinga said the scenario where the Disability Affairs department was housed under a Government ministry creates a big brother mentality, which was not ideal in the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities.
Senator Annah Shiri, who represents People With Disabilities (PWDs) in Parliament, called on legislators to work together in creating an inclusive digital landscape, by harnessing the power of technology to bridge the existing gaps that traditionally hindered persons with disabilities from participating in various activities in society.
“Access to ICT, promoting inclusive education for persons with disabilities, assistive devices and communication devices, empower even students with disabilities to access educational resources and participate actively in learning processes,” she said.
Sen Shiri bemoaned how websites were not user-friendly, particularly to people with disabilities although their mandate was to disseminate information.
She said access to ICTs by people with disabilities is a vital step towards building an inclusive society.
In his address at the event, Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) executive secretary, Mr Godwin Phiri, who was represented by his organisation’s public information compliance manager, Mr Brian Tomo, said access to information was a fundamental human right enshrined in Section 62 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, adding that the law states that every citizen or permanent resident of Zimbabwe including juristic persons and the media, have the right of access to any information held by any person including the State, required for exercising or protecting a right.
“However, despite the significance of this legislation, there remains a lack of awareness and understanding among the general populace regarding their rights under the Act.
“This forum aims to address such an anomaly, as there is a need for a clearer understanding of the Act by the populace,” he said.
Mr Phiri said the Constitution of Zimbabwe obligates the State to take suitable measures, to ensure that persons with disabilities realise their full potential, to enable them to become self-reliant and live with their families and participate in social and creative activities.
He said enabling the legislation was imperative to making sure that persons with disabilities access information while ICTs played a crucial role in providing readily accessible information that entities would have posted on their sites for the benefit of everyone.
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