WELCOME to our weekly disability corner and this week we are taking a deep reflection of the Golden Jubilee year on behalf of persons with disabilities.
As Zambia is celebrating its 50th birthday, it will be incomplete for this historical event to pass without recognising gallant men and women with disabilities who participated in the struggle for independence.
Let me give a brief background of the disability movement in Zambia so that we appreciate what has been achieved this far.
The disability movement in Zambia came into being in early 1950’s. The first organisation was called National League for the Blind. It was formed to fight for the rights of blind persons in society.
The National League for the Blind established a rehabilitation centre at Kambowa Farm Centre to rehabilitate soldiers who acquired disabilities during the Second World War. The centre was managed by Northern Rhodesia Armies based at Tug- Argan Barracks.
In 1953 the rehabilitation of blind persons was extended to blind civilians who were trained in agricultural skills.
In 1956 Kangonga Production Centre was formed to train blind persons in craft skills such as basketry, furniture and brush making. In 1962 the Parliament enacted the “Blind Ordinance” to regulate activities of blind persons in Northern Rhodesia.
Zambia is one of the few African Countries which has been promoting rights of persons with disabilities even before independence. As noted above, blind persons were the first to form an organisation to champion the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa. This led to the enactment of a disability legislative in 1962 called “the Blind Ordinance Act”.
After independence, the Act was repealed and replaced by the Handicapped and Blind Act in 1965. The act gave birth to Zambia Council for the Blind and Handicapped. The Act was annulled in 1968 and was substituted by the “Handicapped Act No.555” to extend rehabilitation services to all persons with disabilities which included the blind, the deaf, physical handicapped, intellectual and mental handicapped.
In 1996 “the Council for the Handicapped Act” was abolished and ushered in the “Persons with Disabilities Act number 33 of 1996” to adequately cover all the needs of persons with disabilities.
The former was inadequate to provide a legal frame work in effective coordination of disability issues. The Person with Disabilities Act established the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities as new vehicle to coordinate disability affairs on behalf of the Government.
In 2006 the world governments sat to discuss inclusion of disability issues in the millennium development. The meeting adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons as a tool to reset the action and that Member States participate in combating discrimination and to positively promote inclusive approach to disability.
In March 2008, Zambia signed the Convention and ratified it in 2010 as a clear testimony of Government commitment to improve lives of disabled people.
In 2012, the Zambian Government simultaneously repealed the Persons with Disability Act number 33 of 1996 which was a major step toward aligning the disability Act to the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and domesticated the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The UN World Programme of Action (WPA) declared the year 1981 as the International Year of Persons with Disabilities. The primary responsibility was to promote effective measures for prevention, rehabilitation, and realisation of the goals of full participation and equality of persons with disabilities.
At the same time, the United Nations proclaimed the period 1982 -1992 UN Decade for persons with disabilities as a measure to encourage implementation this instruments. This set the beginning of NGOs for persons with disabilities in Zambia which are referred to as Disabled Peoples Organisation commonly known as DPOs.
The first three DPOs to be formed were the Zambia National Federation of the Blind, the Zambia National Association Physically Disabled and the Zambia National Association of the Deaf.
As of today Zambia has produced more than 40 disabled people’s organisations to advocate the rights of persons with disabilities.
Like any group of people in Zambia gallant men and women with disabilities in Zambia actively participated in the struggle for independence.
During the colonial rule persons with disabilities were subjected to a lot of sufferings. Persons with disabilities were denied the civil and political rights as well as rights to education, health, vocation rehabilitation, counseling and replacement, rights to secure and retain employment.
Persons with disabilities were surviving through charity. The schools in their localities were not accessible as physical structures, school materials and human capital were not compatible to them. They were locked in houses by their parents and guardians who were perceived to championing freedom struggle and feared to be arrested by the federal republic.
This compelled persons with disabilities to fight hard for their freedom. Youths with disability participated as political cadres for both Zambia National Congress (ZANC) and United National Independence Party (UNIP). They were used in recruitment of new party members.
They were also participating in fundraising activity for their parties through selling of party cards. Some of the freedom fighters met their disabilities while fighting for independence.
Among the freedom fighters were the following persons: Lawrence Muma, Keshi Chisambi, Joseph Mutale, Clavel Mutale, Conny Mutale, ZW Chibwe, Machechani, Samson Chongo and many others as a child remember how these men worked with our first President Kenneth Kaunda in creating employment for the disabled.
When Zambia got independence under the able leadership of Dr Kaunda, the disability movement recorded a lot of growth.
Dr Kaunda established more farm centres in Copperbelt, Northern, Luapula, North-western, Lusaka , Eastern, Southern and Western provinces which provided rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities in farming and craft work.
These centres also created sheltered employment to over 900 persons with disabilities from 1964 to 2013 and these farm centres are Kambowa, Kang’onga, Mutongolo, Fisenge and Masaiti on the Copperbelt; Luminu, Cottage, Kazembe and Mushota in Luapula; Chitila in Northern Province; Mitukutuku, Kikonkomene, and Nyamonga in North-western Province; Mimosa in Lusaka; Lutmebwe in Eastern Province and Linda in Southern Province.
For me, these centres have historical significance and must be maintained in the vision and purpose they were created for so that they remain centres of social integration for the disabled people.
In education many special schools for persons with disabilities were opened in all provinces to offer education to persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities are admitted at various colleges and universities upon completion of their secondary school level to pursue their course for further studies.
Dr Kaunda opened National Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with disabilities that cannot be absorbed by ordinary colleges and universities with a vision to impart them with survival skills such as carpentry, agriculture, radio and TV repair, watch repair, metal fabrication, tailoring and secretarial trades.
The 50 yearS of Zambia’s independence has seen persons with disabilities participate actively in the development agenda of the nation. They have effectively involved themselves in all activities of the nation at various levels of decision making.
We have seen a lot of persons with disabilities holding high political and administrative positions.
Amongst the notable persons with disabilities who have contributed to the development of our great nation include:
Mr Kesh Chisambi: He served Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities as a coordinator of the association. He also served as the vice president of African Blind Union. He was a member of the National Constitution Conference (NCC) which was mandated to review the constitution in 2007.
He is one of the founders of the disability movement in Zambia. He actively participated in the establishment of farm centres. We shall continue with names of other persons with disabilities that have contributed greatly to the movement and participated in development of Zambia for the past 50 years, May God bless you as we reflect on our jubilee.
*The author is Associate professor for the Faculty of Disability Studies of ICOF Colleges, Seminary and Universities www.icofusa.net , Disability policy Analyst for SADC and Inclusive Development Advisor at the Centre for Disability Development Research, Law and Policy in South Africa.
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