People with Disability Worst Hit by the National Lockdown in Zimbabwe

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01 May, 2020

 

On 1 May 2020, The New Zimbabwe revealed that people with disabilities in Zimbabwe were among those worst affected by the national lockdown as many of them were unemployed with no stable income.

According to the newspaper, the sentiments were expressed by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zimrights) in a report entitled; “Their Voices Matter: Community Responses to COVID-19 Measures”.

It further reported that the Zimrights had expressed concern over the struggles people with disability have been forced to go through while trying to cope with the lockdown, urging authorities to consider specific requirements of persons with all forms of disability as one of among government priorities in development plans.

The reservations came just weeks after the Zimbabwe Government announced a ZWL $600 million package to help vulnerable households deal with the financial troubles brought by the lockdown. But it was reported that Government had no specific package for those with disability.

“We have no idea how we are going to resume operating because we are now eating into our capital,” Masimba Chinake, a Murehwa villager with disability, told the newspaper.

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