. Sata

By KELVIN CHIMBINDE –
AN award is something given to a person, a group of people, or an organisation to recognise their excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence.
Awards are often signified by trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons.
An award may carry a monetary prize given to the recipient; for example, the Nobel Prize for contributions to society.
An award may also simply be a public acknowledgment of excellence, without any tangible token or prize.
However, there are exceptions like some quality labels. People, who have won certain prestigious awards, such as the Nobel Prize, a championship title in a sport, or an Academy Award (Oscar Pistorius), can have the award become their identity, thereafter being known primarily for winning the award, rather than for any other achievement or occupation.
Zambia has been bestowed and awarded with the first of its kind the Michael Chilufya Sata disability ambassadorial country award by the Africa Disability Alliance (ADA) in honour of late president Mr. Michael Sata’s efforts in championing, programming and policing disability issues.
The ambassadorial country status is a top civil society award that encourage government to increase its efforts towards mainstreaming disability in all sectors and government line ministries.
Zambia was selected by the African Disability Alliance formerly known as the Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities to be awarded the disability ambassadorial country award in recognition of the progress and commitment made by the Zambian government towards mainstreaming disability in programmes and policies.
In accepting the prestigious award in Lusaka recently,  Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Emerine Kabanshi said the award was timely as Zambia joined the whole world in commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disability which fell on December 3rd, 2014.
Mrs Kabanshi said progressive disability programmes such as approving the disability national policy were implemented during late president Sata’s rule.
In 2012 Government domesticated the Persons with Disability Act number 6 of 2012.
The minister noted that whilst recognising late president Sata’s efforts, Government is also aware of individuals who have worked tirelessly to better the lives of persons with disability in the country for their invaluable contributions.
“We’re gathered here to witness the rare honour of the Zambian Government being bestowed with the MCS disability ambassadorial country award.
“On behalf of Government, my ministry and indeed on my own behalf, l wish to gracefully accept this award which is in honour of our remembered hero, His Excellency, Mr Sata. I wish to thank everyone who has joined us this evening to celebrate with us as we receive the MCS disability ambassadorial country award,” Mrs Kabanshi she said.
Late president Mr Sata reiterated his Government’s commitment to continuing with implementation of the national policy on disability to guide programmes for persons with disabilities so as to enable them lead a productive, fulfilled and dignified lives.
Mr Sata stated during the official opening of parliament that his government would ensure that disability issues are mainstreamed in all sector plans and programmes.
Mrs Kabanshi commended the ADA for recognising Zambia and giving her the ambassadorial country award and reiterated Government’s commitment to working closely with disability people’s organisation such as Zambia Federation of Disability Organisation (ZAFOD) Zambia Agency for Persons with Disability (ZAPD) in ensuring the quality of persons with disabilities in the country are improved.
“We’re grateful to ADA for the award as well as the support you’ve given to the Zambian government. We’re aware that you’ve not only invested your expertise, skills and financial resources but you’ve promoted our country both locally and internationally,” Mrs Kabanshi said.
Zambia ratified the United Nations Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2010 and went further to domesticate its provisions by coming up with the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 6 of 2012.
The Zambian government has also commited itself to further building upon the achievements already made in domesticating the UNCRPD and mainstreaming disability in programmes and policies.
Mrs Kabanshi assured the Zambian people that government would be their ambassador for best practices within the SADC region.
She acknowledged the amount of co-operation with the European Union (EU)
African Union (AU), Christian Blind Mission (CBM), UN system and other communities in supporting the work.
She called on other partners and governments to support the plan and challenged ZAPD to show leadership and guidance if the country is to sustain the gains made so far.
She disclosed that her ministry and ADA would enter into a memorandum of understanding in areas of co-operation that include programmes, projects and strategies in the field of disability that government has already or is in the process of implementing and develop a comprehensive sector wide national disability mainstreaming plans.
The minister disclosed that in order to operationalise the Act, her ministry in consultation with the stakeholders developed a national policy on disability which was approved by cabinet in February 2013.
To this end, the ministry spearheaded a process for developing an implementation plan to ensure that the persons with disabilities were being addressed.
Mrs Kabanshi said in this regard, the policy and the plan would be launched early 2015 and will be implemented progressively in the due course.
The implementation plan does not belong to Government alone but to entire nation.
Mrs Kabanshi said concerned efforts were required from the stakeholders, co-operating partners, Disability Peoples’ Organisations (PDOs) including individual persons with disabilities to realise results.
She called for continued support from ADA, CBM and other co-operating partners as government implements this plan next year.
ADA chairperson Roseweter Mudarikwa who presented the award commended Zambia for the award.
Ms Mudarikwa disclosed that the AU working with the Commission for Human and People’s Rights is drafting an African Disability Protocol that would ensure and guarantee respect for human rights for persons with disabilities on the African continent.
Ms Mudarikwa recollected that late president Sata’s leadership would be missed not only within Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region but also the AU.
She acknowledged the progress that the Zambian government has made in the ratification and domestication of UNCRPD as demonstrated in the Disability Act No. 6 of 2012, the disability policy and the revision of the Sixth national Development Plan to include disability as a cross cutting issue.
“We really want to applaud the Zambian government for showing commitment and willingness to mainstream disability in government programmes. We congratulate the Government for its work in spearheading in 2013 the development of an implementation plan that will support the implementation of disability policy. We look forward to the launch of this plan in 2015 and commit ourselves to supporting its implementation and monitoring,” she said.
She noted that Zambia is one of the first countries to pilot and test the disability tool-kit for Africa by training focal point persons aimed at providing government officials and members of DPOs with practical tools on various disability-related issues in the framework of UNCRPD implementation at country level.
“I’m pleased to confer this award to you, Hon Minister Mrs. Kabanshi and we commit ourselves to work with you and all Government ministries and civil society organizations in the country. We commit ourselves to contribute our skills, experiences and resources to achieve the objectives outlined,” Ms Mudarikwa said.
She hoped that the training of focal persons on the tool-kit will contribute to strengthening Government’s capacity in ensuring that disability is mainstreamed and budgeted for in all government departments.
She said part of the work of her orgainsation is to share best practices in the implementation of the AU, continental plan of action for PWDs and UNCRPD.
She thanked the partners CBM and EU for supporting their work, and disability in general in Africa towards this award.
CBM Country representative Julien Mwape expressed gratitude that the National Mainstreaming Disability Plan to which she was involved for a period of two years has made significant progress.
Ms Mwape commended government for all the support rendered to the federation and DPOs in implementing the ambassadorial country award.
“I hope and trust that this award will be yet another milestone during this Zambian journey toward full inclusion of people with disability,” Ms Mwape said.
She cited the progress made so far by the Zambian government in its policies as repealing of the PwDs Act No 33 of 1996, development of the National Disability Policy and Implementation Plan, review of the Mental Disorder Act, review of the Town and Country planing Act and the review of the SNDP.
CBM is an international Christian development organization, committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in the poorest communities of the world among them, Zambia.
Former CBM president Professor Allen Foster once eluded that the UNCRPD has been ratified by 126 countries.
“Respective countries should now put into practice holistic accessibility, addressing barriers in the physical environment, in our communication, barriers in our altitudes and in our policies so as to make inclusion part of everyday life and build communities which are fully respected of all people,” Prof Foster said.
ZAFOD chairperson Douglas Makusa pledged to work with government implement the National Disability Policy and Implementation Plan.
Mr Makusa further pledged to engage government in other pieces of legislation to ensure that PwDs are included in all government ministries.
He commended government for demonstrating political will in mainstreaming the concerns of PwDs.
He further thanked partners who worked closely suck as EU, CBM, Finnish embassy for their support towards the implementation of  the Communities of Practice in Disability Advocacy for Mainstreaming in Zimbabwe (COPDAM)
“ZAFOD is engaging government in all the national plans and pieces of legislation to ensure that PwDs are included in all government ministries,” Mr Makusa said.
And some renowned proponents of disability issues received medals from  Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health Emerine Kabansh for their immense contributions.
Mrs Kabanshi presented certificates among them veteran disability activist Elijah Ngwale,, executive director of the Zambia National Association of Disabled Women (ZNADWO) Ms Francesca Muyenga (posthumously), Sylvester Katotoka and Makenzi Mbewe. Mr. Mbewe is the first disability person to graduate at the University of Zambia in 1978 and he is also the first teacher to teach the deaf in Zambia.
Meanwhile, veteran disability Activist Elijah Ngwale has appealed to government to consider naming public institutions after disability activist as a way of honouring them.
Mr Ngwale, who is Disability, HIV and AIDS Human Rights Programmes manager,  thanked first republican president  Kenneth Kaunda for appointing late Lazarous Tembo in his cabinet hence suggested he could be named after a public institution in the manner other abled persons are recognised and named like Harry Mwaanga International Airport in Livingstone.
“KK appointed Lazarous Tembo in his cabinet and we appreciate him for that decision by why can’t government recognise us persons with disabilities by naming public institutions after our disabled people. All we hear and see is our abled counterparts being recognised like Kenneth Kaunda and  Harry Mwaanga International Airports, Paul Mushindo and Robert Makasa Universities and so on and so forth,” Mr Ngwale asked.
We can only congratulate departed president Mr. Sata in particular and government in general for the ambassadorial country award and it is hoped that government would continue to prioritise issues of the PwDs as observed by the disabled people themselves.
It would have been nice to see if the former Head of State Mr Sata himself was alive to atest to his hard work and energies he put in improving the welfare of PwDs.