Norman Dururu
GWERU – People with disabilities have asked government to allocate them 10 percent of all farming land in line with the National Disability Policy.
Speaking during the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development strategic planning workshop, disability focal person Tapiwa Tsikai said the National Disability Policy supports the allocation of land to people with disabilities.
“At least 10 percent of all farming land must be allocated to people with disabilities. This is supported by the National Disability Policy section 3.2.22,” he said.
Tsikai challenged the ministry to become more inclusive of people with disabilities.
He said staff members within the Lands ministry must be among the first persons with disabilities to be considered for land allocation.
The disability activist said the ministry must make sure that all its staff members are made aware of the rights of people with disabilities and their inherent dignity while also being sensitised on the need to accommodate their special needs.
Tsikai added that there was need for allocation of financial resources towards disability inclusion and accessibility of the ministry.
“We recommend that at least 10 to 15 percent of the ministry’s budget be reserved for items related to disability inclusion and accessibility. The budget will cover items of capital and recurrent expenditure,” he said.
The Lands Ministry, the disability activist said, must create a ministerial disability desk that will be manned by a national focal person and supported by focal persons at provincial level in all 10 provinces.
On accessibility, Tsikai said the ministry needs to have buildings that would make people with mobility challenges interface with service providers without having to go upstairs.
He said there was also need to train sign language in the ministry and transcription of all ministry’s publications into braille.
Tsikai said staff members with disability should be well equipped with resources that are suitable for them given their various individual needs.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the National Disability Policy in June 2021, which outlined measures to be taken by all stakeholders to make more inclusive people with disabilities.
The Ministry of Lands Permanent Secretary Dr John Bhasera has already began the process of building a disability friendly ministry through meeting staff members with disability.
