Online Reporter
Tanaka Nkala, Chronicle Reporter
PEOPLE with disability and the youth have appealed to the Treasury to prioritise their needs by allocating more funds to support their empowerment in the 2026 national budget.
Contributing during the Youth Inclusive Budget Conference hosted by the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee in Bulawayo on Monday, young people and people living with disabilities said they felt the Government was not doing enough to involve them in financial planning and development issues.
One of the participants, Tsepang Nare, who represented the National Association of Societies of the Care of Handicapped said the national disability policy proposed a disability levy some years back but this is yet to be functional.
“The disability levy enunciated in the national disability policy has not been operational for four years now. Next year, we are supposed to review the policy but we have nothing to review,” she said.
“Our proposal is to charge levy from gas because a number of households are now using gas hence that money should be used for disability levy programmes.”
Albinism activists, Ntandoyenkosi Mnkandla, said the Government should recognise the albinism community and support their health needs as many of them cannot afford the necessary medical lotions, which are deemed expensive and those affected want them accessed free.
“My wish is that in the 2026 budget the Government should recognise our community as we are mostly affected by skin cancer due to failure to afford medical creams as they are expensive,” said Mnkandla.
“These should be made free the same way ARVs are free to the nation because the creams are our essential need.”
Zimbabwe Sports Association for People With Disabilities, Johane Mamfi, said proper training of teachers must include candidates with disabilities and that this must be supported by a budget to accommodate persons with disabilities.
“We acknowledge the efforts being made by the Government but our main issue is that the Ministry of Education needs to train all physical education teachers to cater for learners with disabilities and consider investing in school equipment’s rather than tournaments and games,” he said.
The disability community also urged the Government to draft a disability friendly budget in 2026 and support more vulnerable communities.
Youth representatives took the opportunity to revisit proposals made in 2018, which include the promise for free education, and issues related to health access, and funds for young entrepreneurs.
One of the youths, Sandisiwe Nkomazana, emphasised that the Government should identify talented youths and avail funding to make them realise their full potential.
“The Government should not ignore the youths who have been incarcerated and consider improving living standards in prisons, which includes health services, access to nutritional meals and mental health services,” she said. “The Government needs to renovate abandoned infrastructure and rent it to the youths to build businesses.”
Another youth Wesley Moyo said the Government has been promising access to free education since 2018 but this has not been fulfilled.
Others highlighted the need to provide free access to health services, digitalisation of business licence operations and increasing the number of critical documentation facilities.
Cde Tinashe Mushipe, the youth quota legislator from Matabeleland South applauded the youths for coming out in large numbers saying the ideas brought by the youths are of national interest and should inform key policy decisions.
“The turnout was great, the insights and ideas from the young people were amazing because it was what we came here for hence we will pass all the proposed suggestions to the Government to be included in the budget,” said Mr Mushipe.
