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ZIMBABWE:
Disabled groups call for more assistance
IRIN
News
April 21,
2004
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=40677
BULAWAYO - The Zimbabwe
government has been urged to release Zim $4 billion (about US $866,000)
in funding pledged for grants and projects aimed at benefiting the increasingly
vulnerable disabled population.
Chrispen Manyuke, the executive director of the National Council for the
Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe, said it was "high time government followed
up" on the pledge it made four months ago.
"We are always inundated with calls from people concerning the distribution
of those funds - the sooner it is done the better," he said.
Disability groups have said the rapidly rising cost of living, coupled
with a lack of employment opportunities, had increased the vulnerability
of disabled persons.
Inflation had also eroded a recent increase in monthly disability grants
from Zim $1,500 (US $32 cents) to Zim $10,000 (US $2). Alexander Phiri,
secretary-general of the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD),
said the monthly allowance was not keeping track with galloping inflation.
An average monthly food basket now costs at least Zim $500,000 (US $108),
inflation remains well over 600 percent and living costs are rising. Earlier
this month the government announced it would also increase monthly allowances
for the dependants of the disabled from Zim $700 (US $15 cents) to Zim
$5,000 (US $1.08).
SAFOD said most of the disabled people in rural areas could not afford
to collect their grants.
"That allowance is not even enough to meet transport costs. We are looking
at somebody who pays Zim $15,000 (US $3,24) to collect Zim $10,000 (US
$2). Besides, there is so much bureaucracy and the money usually takes
days to process. We have had cases where people sleep outside the welfare
offices for days, awaiting payments. It would be better for government
to come up with outreach programmes, whereby the disabled can be paid
out from local community posts like schools and rural health centres,"
said Phiri.
In Zimbabwe's harsh economic climate Zim $10,000 is just enough to buy
a single 10 kg bag of the staple food, maize meal. The cheapest bottle
of cooking oil costs Zim $5,000, with other basic necessities costing
much more.
SAFOD recently released a report detailing the desperate living conditions
of the disabled, who make up 22 percent of Zimbabwe's population of 13
million, and pointed out a lack of government support.
National Disability Board (NDB) chairman Joshua Malinga said the release
of the funds would ensure that the disabled did away with a culture of
dependency, as most of the funding was directed at setting up income-generating
projects. The NDB is responsible for managing the disbursement of all
grants and material support to the disabled in Zimbabwe.
"We don't want a culture of dependency among the disabled. They must fend
for themselves, and that is done through supporting their income-generating
projects. So the urgent release of that grant should make a difference,
but it should be done now," said Malinga.
Once it was available, the money would be allocated to disabled people's
organisations, institutions and service providers.
The delay in releasing the funds has been attributed to bottlenecks in
the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Malinga said
the NDB had already planned for public advocacy and awareness programmes
to change community perceptions of the disabled.
"We have planned for advocacy and awareness programmes, so that people
can change the way they perceive the disabled - people with disabilities
must not be seen as sick."
In addition to the Disability Fund, the government last year set up a
Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Budget.
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