WELCOME to our column this Sunday and let me start by appreciating comments and suggestions we received from you our readers on Barbra Phiri’s election as first female chairperson for Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD).

We also appreciate your comments on the restructuring of the agency which was supposed to be done in 1996 when the agency was created.

The caring Government under the leadership of his Excellency Michael Chilufya Sata  has provided 19 million Kwacha for the restructuring of the agency for it to be relevant to  the needs and  aspiration of persons with disabilities.

As a disability rights activist, I should say that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has fulfilled its promise to persons with disabilities as contained in disability chapter in its manifesto for 2011 to 2016  on the commitment to improve funding to the agency and making the agency responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities.

But without Government support, it will be difficult to effectively implement its sustainable vision to create society for all as part of mainstreaming disability in Zambia.

Now that Government has provided funding for restructuring, there is an urgent need for the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health to engage a consultant to look at the current structure of the Agency which has failed to work in the past 22 years.

The Agency lacks qualified personnel more especially in positions relevant to rehabilitation as core function of the Agency.

Government must not allow the agency to restructure itself because it has failed and their judgement should not be trusted otherwise the 19 million kwacha Government has provided for this process will be a waste.

As a centre for disability development, research, law and policy, it is within our mandate to provide open but credible advise to  Governments  on the review and ensuring that agencies of Government move within the  vision in the implementation of its programmes.

We cannot allow this long awaited opportunity which his President Sata has provided to persons with disabilities for once to have a small but effective agency which will deliver to the expectation of Government and its targeted people.

Having served as Board member for ZAPD and later as Director General, I can confirm that it was difficult to increase funding to the agency but this Government has done it.

Our reasoning that it would be a serious risk for Government to allow the agency restructure itself is based on the fact that it is against the norms of good governance and that there is no institution around the world which can restructure itself.

The dangers of self-restructuring are that positions may change but some unqualified people who have previously failed the Agency may find themselves on board.

We say so because Zambians are aware that for the past 22 years, disability administration has been placed in the Ministry of Community Development and social services.

The above set up completely failed because all centres and firms currently for the disabled were programmes left by United Independence party (UNIP) Government and no one can show us any successful MMD Government driven disability programmes apart from changing the name from Zambia Council for the Handicapped to the agency.

The PF Government need our support in the area of disability and we should provide timely advise when there is time to adjust.

This structuring is the key for a new look agency for effective disability administration and it must also appreciated why centres for persons with disabilities where established to provide sheltered employment.

With a powerful board appointed and knowing that all members have vast experience in the area of disability, they should provide the needed leadership if this restructuring is to achieve its intended purpose of improved service delivery and our readers you may recall that we talked about Government restricting the agency twice in this column and for us this is the response to our features.

We are following the restructuring of ZAPD with keen interest and at an appropriate time, we shall provide an update to you our readers.

The question we should ask ourselves is whether the agency can deliver in its form or we need new structure first which will have new positions and responsibility in line with programmes

outlined in the disability Act number 6 of 2012 and national disability policy.

As we conclude, we feel that Government should do the following before restructuring the agency.

Firstly, Government need to undertake job audit for staffs from ZAPD, look at the current structure and align position to programmes outlined in disability Act number 6 of 2012.

Further, they should look at qualification which can give the agency people with hands on since it has done the last proposal of retrenching all workers and place those that will be reappointed under performance contract. Stay well and welcome to 2014.

Those that called us and asked for Zambia Agency for persons with Disabilities Board Chairperson contact information please contact:

Barbra Phiri on +260977849530 and her email addresses are barphi83@yahoo.com and barphi83@gmail.com  she is available for your suggestions.

For your letters please send to us on P.O. BOX 34490 Lusaka, Zambia or use our South African Address. The author is Regional Disability policy Analyst for SADC and Inclusive Development Advisor for Centre for Disability Development Research, Law and Policy, Johannesburg.

Project Office, P.O. BOX 1981 New Castle, 2940 South Africa

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