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Kudzai Shava Correspondent
Among the vices people with disabilities have had to deal with is exclusion. This exclusion has been in many facets of life — political, social and economic — to name just, but three.

The national political and economic architecture is structurally designed in an exclusive way for persons with disabilities making it difficult for most to participate fully and unhindered.

The legislation has gaping holes portraying disability mainly as a charity issue and not a rights issue. As we speak, the country does not have a coherent disability policy resulting in an uncoordinated approach by Government and business to disability issues. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was ratified in September 2013, but is still undomesticated up to now.

Political parties do not seriously consider disability, only cosmetically mentioning it in their manifestos, but not going beyond that. One wonders whether they go back to the manifestos after elections. Economically, the situation is the same with businesses failing to lead the way by hiring competent persons with disabilities. They prefer instead to focus on the cost of disability and not the quality product they may get if they hire someone with a disability. As a result, a lot of economically active people with disabilities find themselves out of employment.

In a few months from now, the nation will be heading for the polls where the country’s leaders from the president to the councillor will be elected in a harmonised general election. From my snap survey among friends and acquaintances, very few of these contestants will be people with disabilities. The 2011 World Disability Report estimates that up to 15 percent of the population are people with disabilities but, less than 50 percent will be participating either as voters or as contestants.

As someone who has travelled extensively and gained lots of experience, I’ve been asked why not many people with disabilities participate in such important processes noting that its an avenue for advocacy as a legislator or counsellor. As an area of research, not much has been done. However, most of my friends I’ve asked keep pointing to a violent electoral space as a reason for their unwillingness to participate. In Zimbabwe, scenes of violence whether inter or intra-party are way too common and these scenes should hopefully be confined to the dustbins of history as the country has entered a new era.

Political will and magnanimity will be important from leaders of contesting parties especially in de-polarising the political space. President Mnangagwa has taken a first bold step to bring all parties to a roundtable and one of thing on top of his agenda is peace and non-violent election. He has demonstrated his political will to end political violence in all its forms. The absence of physical security during such an important process ordinarily supposed to be a contest for ideas on how to run the country makes it difficult for some with smart ideas to take part. With President Mnangagwa’s commitment, I’m optimistic that people with disabilities will begin to enter the political arena without any fear.

I also hope that inter and intra-party violence will end in the built up to the elections. The message of peace and non-violence espoused by the President should help curb political tension and violence and ultimately pave the way for people with disabilities to take part in the polls. Zimbabwe must be able to tap into the sharp minds of my friends and colleagues with disabilities.

As a parting shot, Government must domesticate the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities UNCRPD as a matter of urgency and craft a comprehensive disability policy which is predicated upon the concept of universal design. Aluta continua.

Kudzai Shava is a disability rights activist and lecturer of Disability and Special Needs Education at the Reformed Church University in Masvingo. He is visually-impaired. Email: [email protected]