Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
CONSTRUCTION of the Nkemeletje Disability Centre in Gwanda District is underway, with works expected to be completed by mid-next year, marking a major milestone in efforts to empower people with disabilities (PWDs) in Matabeleland South Province.
Located in Ward 16, Mapate Village, the centre is being developed as a multi-purpose hub that will house an Early Childhood Development (ECD) unit for children with disabilities, a vocational training centre and facilities for digital and soft skills development. It will also support sustainable livelihoods through agricultural initiatives such as goat rearing and horticulture projects.
The project dovetails with Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy while ensuring inclusive development that leaves no one and no place behind. Central to this vision is the empowerment of PWDs through access to education, healthcare, employment, information and appropriate infrastructure.
The disability centre is a partnership involving the Matabeleland South-based disability organisation Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT), Gwanda Rural District Council, the local community and development partners, underlining the growing emphasis on community-driven and inclusive development.
In an interview, Nkomwa Foundation Trust director Mr Pick Nkomwa said the organisation had secured US$7 000 from the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Programme to kick-start construction.
“This centre represents a vision for a future of self-reliance and dignity for people with disabilities,” he said.
Mr Nkomwa said following the ground-breaking ceremony, the project is progressing well, with land clearance completed and construction of a perimeter fence underway. Excavation of foundations for the multipurpose hall and administration block has also started, while 6 000 standard bricks have already been delivered to the site.
“To commence the project, we received US$7 000 from the Australian Government through its Embassy in Zimbabwe. We also received support from a local business, Blissful Hardware, which assisted with transporting 3 000 bricks from Gwanda to Mapate. Our project timeline is one year, but we are optimistic that by June next year or even earlier, we will have completed the multipurpose hall and started activities,” said Mr Nkomwa.
Mr Nkomwa described the centre as a potential game changer for Gwanda District and the wider Matabeleland South Province, offering skills development, inclusive learning, innovation, community participation and the promotion of independence and dignity for PWDs. However, he said timely completion of the project would require additional resources and collective effort, appealing to corporates and individuals to invest in the initiative.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity Services and Member of Parliament for Gwanda South, Dr Omphile Marupi, said the establishment of the centre was in line with the Government’s constitutional and developmental mandate to empower PWDs.
“Including people with disabilities is not merely a moral obligation, but a constitutional and developmental imperative,” said Dr Marupi.
He said the centre would serve as a skills hub and a model for inclusive rural development, demonstrating that meaningful progress is achievable even in remote communities.
Dr Marupi said the Second Republic, under President Mnangagwa’s leadership, had taken significant strides in promoting disability rights and social inclusion, citing the launch of the National Disability Policy on June 9, 2021, as a major milestone aimed at ending discrimination and marginalisation of PWDs.
He added that Government initiatives include the establishment of a Disability Affairs Department under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Development, the appointment of PWDs to key public offices, and the rollout of inclusive education programmes.
Government, he said, has also partnered organisations such as Nkomwa Foundation Trust, Jairos Jiri Association and Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe in community rehabilitation, skills development, and support for self-help projects and cooperatives to enhance economic independence among PWDs.—
