Kadoma, (New Ziana)– The government is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities actively participate in all development processes, including job creation through entrepreneurship, a senior government official said on Friday.
Deputy Minister of Labour and Public Service, Mercy Dinha, made these remarks during the belated commemoration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities in Kadoma.
She emphasized the government’s dedication to empowering persons with disabilities through various initiatives, including free education and vocational training.
“The Ministry supports free education from Early Childhood Development to university level for persons with disabilities. We also administer three free vocational training institutions in Ruwa, Beatrice, and Mutare specifically for persons with disabilities. I urge everyone to take advantage of these institutions to acquire vocational skills and HEXCO qualifications,” she said.
In addition to education, Dinha highlighted the government’s role in providing resources to support self-help income-generating projects for persons with disabilities. She mentioned the Revolving Loan Facility, which aims to encourage job creation, economic growth, and investment by supporting small to medium-scale business ventures and helping informal enterprises transition into the formal sector.
“This facility is designed to empower persons with disabilities to become self-reliant and contribute to the economy,” she said.
Dinha also noted the importance of collaboration between the government and civil society in addressing barriers to the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities.
She described the event as a platform for stakeholders to agree on practical steps toward mainstreaming disability in all aspects of development.
“We must hold ourselves accountable for our commitments to mainstreaming disability in all dimensions of development. This commemoration should inspire us to think seriously about how best we can uplift the lives of persons with disabilities so they can participate in society on an equal basis with others, “she said.
She said that the National Coordination Technical Committee on the Implementation of the National Disability Policy had made significant progress in mainstreaming disability across all government ministries, departments, and agencies at the national level.
Efforts are now underway to decentralize this structure to provincial and district levels to ensure the effective implementation of the National Disability Policy in communities.
“This decentralization and devolution effort promotes inclusivity and accessibility,” Dinha said. “As part of our community outreach programs, my Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and its partners, will be offering assessments for assistive devices such as spectacles, as well as distributing white canes, shades, and sunscreen lotions.”
Dinha also reflected on Zimbabwe’s long-standing commitment to persons with disabilities, tracing it back to 1980 when the country gained independence after a protracted liberation struggle that left many combatants and civilians with disabilities.
The International Day for Persons with Disabilities, declared by the United Nations in 1992, is celebrated annually on 3 December to recognize the abilities and promote the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide.
The day serves as a crucial platform for advocating the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society.
New Ziana
