Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE 11th Edition of the National Disability Expo being held in Gwanda, Matabeleland South entered into its second day with the major highlight for the day being a youth empowerment conference organised by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation.
More than 100 participants have set up exhibition stands. Organisations of people with disabilities (PWDs), affiliates and associates of organisations of PWDs, Government ministries and other stakeholders are exhibiting at the expo.
The expo’s key focus is to enable those living with disabilities to be aware of existing technologies, equipment, aids, services and products that can allow them to live a fuller life.
This year’s edition of the National Disability Expo is running under the theme “Holistic Empowerment of Youth and Children with Disabilities towards the attainment of Vision 2030. A better and brighter future for everyone.”
Youths with disability were urged during the empowerment conference to fully utilise empowerment opportunities that have been created by Government to benefit the youth.
They have been urged to take up loan facilities created for Youth, make use of vocational training centres across the country, set up cooperatives. They youths were also urged to take up sport and arts as a career.
Speaking during the youth empowerment conference director in the office of the Special Advisor on National Disability Issues in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Mr Macron Chirinzepi said interventions by Government to empower youths also incorporates youths with disability.
“Our theme “Holistic Empowerment of Youth and Children with Disabilities towards the attainment of Vision 2030. A better and brighter future for everyone” speaks into empowerment of persons with disability, especially the youth. The youth are the future of our country and this involves youths with disability. The youths have a lot to offer towards developing the nation and as such we have to empower them.
“In order for the country to attain Vision 2030 President Mnangagwa has said no place and no one should be left behind. This means that in order to attain Vision 2030 persons with disability also need to be empowered. We are glad that Government under the Second Republic has taken a bold stance in ensuring the inclusion of persons with disability by putting in place various policies and initiatives,” he said.
Mr Chirinzepi implored youths with disability to take a stand and claim their space in various empowerment programmes.
Under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, the Second Republic has made great strides towards the creation of an inclusive society that recognises the rights of people with disabilities, among them being the opening up of opportunities for them in empowerment programmes.
Conscious of the need to take everyone on board, in June 2021, President Mnangagwa launched the National Disability Policy. This was followed by the setting up of the Technical National Coordination Committee in 2022 to provide guidance on the implementation of the policy.
The launching of the committee was also aimed at addressing the preconditions necessary for the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention of the rights of the persons with disabilities in 2013. Since the ratification of the convention, Zimbabwe has adopted a raft of measures to advance the rights of people with disabilities.
The National Disability Policy came at a time when Zimbabweans are collectively moving towards achieving the national vision of an empowered and prosperous upper-middle income society by 2030.
The policy calls on Government and other stakeholders to ensure access to employment for persons with disabilities and strive to ensure that 15 percent of their workforce in all sectors comprise people with disabilities.
@DubeMatutu
Online Reporter