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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief 

THE Zanu-PF disability wing says it intends to launch People with Disability for ED chapters in all the provinces as it moves to mobilise votes for President Mnangagwa in the forthcoming general elections.

In an interview after a meeting with representatives of people living with disabilities in Gwanda yesterday, Zanu-PF national coordinator for people with disability, Bishop Amos Mapiko said people with disabilities had to rally behind President Mnangagwa as he had made significant progress in empowering the disabled through policy implementation, assistive device distribution and economic empowerment programmes.

“Gwanda is one of our strongholds and we want to form a provincial party structure for PWDs and these structures will cascade to district level. We are in the process of mobilising PWDs for ED chapters in all the provinces and we will be rolling out various economic empowerment projects for PWDs,”.

“As PWDs we want to mobilise support for President Mnangagwa to be re-elected this year. We are also in support of the President’s vision of an upper middle income society by 2030 as the success of this vision will also benefit us as people with disability. We constitute 15 percent of the country’s population which means out of the 15 million people, 750 000 are living with disabilities,” Bishop Mapiko.

He said the Disability Policy has helped to empower people living with disabilities.

Bishop Mapiko said PWDs for ED chapters will be launched in all the provinces as part of votes mobilisation.

 He said the provincial structures are expected to mobilise people living with disabilities across the country ahead of the launch of the chapters.

Bishop Mapiko said this should be done in a peaceful manner. He said during the mobilisation process people with disability will also be encouraged to register to vote. 

“The mobilisation strategy will focus on unpacking development programmes that have been rolled out by Government,” he said.

Trynos Nkomo

Zanu-PF Gwanda central committee member, Cde Trynos Nkomo said the Disability Policy had empowered people living with disabilities.

“ As a province we are eager to start the mobilisation process in preparation for the launch of the PWDs for ED Matabeleland South chapter. I would like to urge all people living with disabilities in the province to take part in this initiative. People living with disabilities can contribute significantly to achieving the +5 million vote target,” he said. – @DubeMatutu