LAST week we welcomed Honourable Emerine Kabanshi as new Minister in the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health and we provided timely advice on Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities and the way forward.
The story touched the hearts of more than 1,789 readers around the world and this is the highest feedback we have received since the inception of Disability and Development Research Law and Policy column and we are encouraged, more especially the feedback we got from senior members of the Patriotic Front and other disabled people’s organisations.
Hon Friday Chipepo Malwa, former deputy minister called us and  said the performance of the Patriotic Front Government on disability and development was in line with its manifesto as set out on page 22 on social sector for 2011 to 2016 the party clearly indicated its vision to improve the welfare of persons with disabilities in Zambia and ensure that Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities is streamlined, which they have done but the current management at ZAPD has failed the Government.
One of the most important pledges was to repeal the Disability Act number 33 of 1996 and domestication of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which this Government did within one year in office.
Today we have seen more than 200 workers retrenched without following what the Board approved and this must be check by my sister who has just moved to that ministry.
Q: Hon good morning and welcome to this interview!
A: Doc it’s good to see you in 2014, let’s start by saying that Zambians must support His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata and appreciate his vision for disabled people.
Q: Hon you said management at ZAPD did not follow what the Board that time resolved in terms of restructuring?
A: Yes Doc, the nation may recall that I was the longest serving deputy minister in charge of disability and Hon Michael Kaingu as our Cabinet minister worked hard to ensure that both the ministry and the Board that time agreed to look for money to pay all workers and introduce performance contracts.
The idea was not to fire people, what is supposed to be done is to retain all workers on three years performance contract and not what has happened, our Government must provide leadership
Q: Hon what do you mean by saying that Government should provide leadership?
A: Doc you know what I am talking about. You were there in two different capacities, one as a Board member and chairperson for the sub-committee of the Board and second as director general. As Government that time we tried to improve the image of the Agency to cooperating partners and they raised concerns such as repealing of the 1996 Act and restructuring of the entire organisation and that was the reason why our Cabinet minister then Dr Michael Kaingu appointed a committee to look at the Act and I am happy to say that 90 per cent material in the new Act is what we agreed with cooperating partners and stakeholders.
Government must provide leadership by stopping management with self-restructuring and engage a consultant and second direct management to re-appoint all workers. This is the reason why we recommended that time that when funds for restructuring are sourced, grants must also be increased, which this Government has done.
Q: Now Hon what are your views on this Government?
A: As I said last time that they have started well and I have been following happenings at ZAPD and I am aware that workers are demanding for removal of acting director general and many other demands.
This was also the order of the day during our time in Government and it will continue if the Patriotic Front Government will not provide the needed leadership and run the Agency in line with the party manifesto and as a Government department not a DPO.
Let me also say that the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities is and should never be a disabled people’s organisation, commonly known as DPO which is an NGO formed and run by disabled themselves but the Agency should take its place as a Government agency with a Government vision but work with DPOs.
This means that Government must drive the Agency and ensure that professionals are hired based on qualifications and not disability just like it is in other countries.
When this is properly understood this demand of having a disabled director general will not arise, having a disabled minister will not be the issues because a person with disabilities thinks that the
Agency is their own organisation when in fact not, this must be made clear from the start.
Q: Hon do you think given the chance Hon Kabanshi can change ZAPD and improve the welfare of persons with disabilities?
A: Ohhhh yes! She is a focused woman and she can do more especially with the new Act and the political will which I have seen from this Government but there is an urgent need to reposition the Agency and employ qualified personnel to run it because disability will never be a qualification for a job but an added advantage just like Miyoba rightly pointed out when you featured him last year, that disability is not a qualification for a job without any other qualifications.
I recall very well that I used to receive a lot of disabled clients when I was a deputy minister looking for employment using disability as qualification and my advice was and still remains that such disabled should go to school first. It’s important that persons with disabilities in Zambia think beyond the Agency in terms of employment because the world over is promoting inclusive society.
This is the reason why that time Government recommended Chola Alex Kafwabulula to restructure African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI) as a specialised agency of the African Union on Disability not because he was disabled but because he is a well qualified disabled person and today we have seen him heading the Food Reserve Agency as executive director.
It is important Doc that our new minister brings you, Chola Kafwabulula, Felix Mutale, Felix Simulunga and many other stakeholders and discusses the way forward for ZAPD.
Q: Hon what about the issue of funding which this Government promised to improve to the Agency?
A: For me it will be wrong for Government to increase funding to Zambia Agency for persons with disabilities in its current form because it will never perform and deliver results as expected by Government because I know what is involved to bring the Agency to life, I was there and visited all 17 farm centres for the disabled.
My suggestion to Government is first to change leadership at management level because it has failed more especially at Headquarters.
Q: Workers are calling for the removal of the acting director general, what is your advice?
A: Workers must give the new minister time and allow her to appreciate the happenings at the Agency and let her make a very independent decision.
For me I have hope she will change things. Secondly Government should investigate first and look at the membership of the current Board, as you know people have raised concern on the Board chairperson and her vice-chairman and the minister must respond to this concern.
Let me also mention here that I have serious observations on the advert I saw from ZAPD advertised in newspapers just for a day and next day is a closed day how, this must also be looked into by our minister for better agency tomorrow. Yesterday I received a call from former ZAPD workers currently camping at the agency offices in Kabulonga my first question is did the Ministry change from what the previous board resolved and if yes what was the reason but looking at the commitment of this Government I have doubts this may be a decision of management without approval of the ministry.

. Kabanshi

My appeal to my sister Hon Kabanshi is to consult beyond the ministry, even me I am available to provide information and suggestions on how best the Agency can be revamped and create more jobs as opposed to retrenchments and retirement of disabled people.
Retirement of disabled people both from the Agency and private sector in Zambia has not worked and it needs research on how best the Government can design a social protection policy for the disabled which will ensure that when they retire they still have independent lives.
Dr Mwape: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to interview you and next week will talk about the plight of disabled people in Zambia.
Hon Malwa: Looking forward to seeing a sustainable Agency which will service disabled people and create employment and it is my prayer that the Hon Minister will read this article because they are very helpful to us.
(The author is disability policy analyst for SADC and inclusive development advisor for Africa with Centre for Disability Development Research, Law and Policy, Johannesburg. For your partnership and suggestions please send to us a mail to P.O. Box 34490, Lusaka, Zambia branch or use our South African address, Project Office, P.O. Box 1981, New Castle, 2940 South Africa
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