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Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday donated wheelchairs to people with disabilities in Bulawayo as the Second Republic keeps true to leaving no one and no place behind in its inclusive development agenda.
The President launched the country’s National Disability Policy on June 9, 2021 in Harare. The policy, which was developed with support from various stakeholders including the United Nations, seeks to address the marginalisation and discrimination of persons with disabilities (PWDs), empower them to improve their own quality of life and enable them to contribute towards the national development agenda.
The policy sets standards for the inclusion of PWDs in all facets of life, thereby serving as an overarching policy framework on disability across all sectors, including the public, private and development sectors.
President Mnangagwa’s donation was a follow-up to last year’s Zimbabwe National Disability Expo which was held in Marondera.
Yesterday, 10 wheelchairs were handed over to the beneficiaries while 10 others are yet to come for distribution.
Speaking during the handover ceremony yesterday at the Bulawayo Polytechnic College, Mr Macnon Chirinzepi, who is a director in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Disability, said this was an initiative that the Office of the President and Cabinet undertakes every year to empower people with disabilities.
“We conducted our disability expo last year in Marondera which ran under the theme; ‘A participatory and inclusive society which leaves no one behind,’ where President Mnangagwa donated wheelchairs to PWDs throughout all provinces of the country,” he said.
“In order to promote their inclusivity and mobility, there was a need to recognise what the people are in need of first, and then help provide it. That is what the Second Republic is striving towards achieving.”
Mr Chirinzepi said the initiative is aimed at making sure that those with disabilities, and mobility challenges can move from one point to another.
“The issue is meant to make sure that people with disabilities are part and parcel of our society. They should be seen as equals and we should not discriminate against them,” he said.
Mr Chirinzepi said the Second Republic is walking the talk when it comes to the inclusiveness of PWDs in society.
“We should move with them hence, the Second Republic is walking the talk and let us, therefore, embrace people with disability. The Government has made sure that PWDs are recognised and given equal treatment in terms of their qualification and also openings of jobs in the public service sector to promote inclusivity,” he said.
Mr Chirinzepi urged other stakeholders in the community to install disability-responsive machinery in public spaces so that PWDs can operate independently as part of the promotion of their independence.
A beneficiary, Mrs Karen Lusinga expressed her gratitude to the President for the kind gesture.
“We truly appreciate this generous donation to us and it means a lot to us. In most cases, we are overlooked regarding all the challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis, but this donation will go a long way in solving some of our challenges,” she said.
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