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Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
A GROWING number of able-bodied people are faking disabilities to fleece unsuspecting well-wishers, while also grabbing opportunities meant to benefit people with disabilities, The Manica Post has learnt.
The paper has gathered that while some people with disabilities are a regular feature in public transport which plies major intercity routes and on streets where they will be begging, more people without disabilities are masquerading as people with disabilities (PWDs) and are using the same modus operandi to fleece money from the unsuspecting public.
In a single bus ride from Mutare to Harare, one will encounter either six or seven ‘blind’ beggars.
According to Senator for people with disabilities, Senator Nasper Manyau, among those who frequent public transport, most of them are impersonators as such people have mastered the art of faking quite well.
This has resulted in an uproar among organisations representing people with disabilities and groups who feel that their reputation is being brought into disrepute by the scammers.
In an interview, Senator Manyau said the issue of scammers ripping off people was brought to her attention.
She said the number of people purporting to be disabled and begging on the streets and public transport is on the increase.
“It is interesting to note that most of us people with disabilities are proud and we do not usually beg in buses or streets. We work for ourselves and these impersonators are taking advantage of the situation to fleece money from the unsuspecting public.
“These cases are happening everywhere, not just in buses or streets. They are happening at bank queues, vending stalls and the business community is also falling victim. I have encountered countless parents who order their children to fake deafness in order to beg. After every 30 minutes, the parents call the kids and ask them how much money they would have made. It is just wrong to exploit innocent children like that,” she said.
“What is more disturbing is that these impersonators are so good at faking disabilities that they are easily believed by well-wishers and service providers, while genuine people with disabilities are being shunned,” added Senator Manyau.
A check by The Manica Post on the senator’s allegations that some vendors who trade illegally in the Central Business District (CBD) are also faking disabilities, confirmed her claims.
Some vendors had crutches beside them, signalling that they could not walk without their aid as they sold their produce on the streets.
However, when the Mutare City Council Municipal Police came to raid them, they outsprinted the law enforcement agents, leaving their crutches behind.
“While we are advocating a percentage of the devolution funds to be directed to the disability community, our major concern is that these people masquerading as people with disabilities will end up benefiting instead of us,” said Senator Manyau.
Chairperson for disabilities in Mutasa Rural District Council, Ms Tsitsi Munyebvu lamented the development, saying a lot needs to be done to nip the growing scourge in the bud.
She called on law enforcement agents to arrest the scammers and charge them with either fraud or impersonation charges as they are benefiting from what is not rightfully theirs.
“These scammers are the reason genuine people with disabilities are being harassed because people no longer know the difference between the two. To counter these harassments, these people should be arrested. As people with disabilities, we need safe spaces too,” she said.
However, Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Norbert Muzondo, said they are still to receive any reports of people masquerading as PWDs.
He said, if such cases are happening, the scammers will be arrested and face fraud charges, if it has to do with receiving money.
“The assumption is that when one is approached by a person with disability, no one will know whether they are faking it, unless other people notify you. It is a fraud case if they are caught begging for money in the guise that they are people with disabilities when they actually are not. However, as of now, we do not have such cases being brought to our attention,” he said.
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