Tinomutenda Midzi
MASVINGO – People living with disabilities have expressed disgruntlement over their voting rights being infringed as, many a time, they are told who to vote for yet they have the right to choose candidate of their choice, it was heard during a meeting to align laws affecting people with disabilities to the new constitution at Victoria Primary School last week.
A visually impaired Nyunyutai Phillis Mudzingwa said they are often forced to vote for candidates they do not want simply because they cannot see and write for themselves.
“We want to be recognised and not to be under someone’s shadow like the disabled Bartimaeus in the Bible whose name was really not known but just called son of Timaeus as if he had no right to be named. We don’t want anyone to take us to the ballot boxes telling us who to vote for as if we do not think for ourselves,” said Mudzingwa.
Zimbabwe Albino Association president Kudakwashe Masvinyangwa said all the boards that represent albinos and people living with disabilities should reserve at least 70 percent of the positions to people with disabilities.
“There is nothing for us without us. We need people with disabilities to take top positions in the boards that represent them at national level. Ndini ndine ganda iri and ndini ndinotsva and anyone who is not an Albino cannot perfectly represent me.
“The board should have 70% people with disabilities so that they can fully represent our interests. Hakuna murume angataurira mukadzi kuti nhumbu inorwadza sei,” said Masvinyangwa.
It also emerged that people with disabilities’ rights were often infringed and different organisations lobbed that they should be full and equal freedom like any citizen in the country.
Representatives from uniformed forces, social welfare, ministry of justice and many others were present taking notes at the meeting which was meant to align laws affecting people living with disabilities with the new constitution.news
