Chakwera for speedy review of Disability Act
President Lazarus Chakwera has directed the Ministry of Justice to expedite the review of the Disability Act (2012).
In his speech at the commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Lilongwe yesterday, he said the exercise will help to identify gaps that must be closed to make the law stronger and progressive.
“The review will ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected,” said Chakwera.
He also ordered the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure the Malawi Bureau of Standards finalises the Malawi Standards on Accessibility and Userbility of the Built Environment and ensure enforcement of the same.
The President said: “Inclusion must not just be the promise our Constitution and national vision make.
“It must be the principle we, ourselves, live by and the practice by which elected Presidents govern, and I will always endeavour to do just that.”
The President also directed the Ministry of Transport and Public Works to ensure that National Construction Industry Council reviews the process of awarding contracts so that contractors satisfy accessibility requirements in line with the Malawi Accessibility Standards.
He said this should be done before awarding a contract and commencement of any public construction project.
Apart from this, the President also directed Ministry of Local Government to ensure that all projects under city councils and municipalities meet the minimum accessibility requirements and that persons with disabilities should be represented in decision-making processes including approvals of construction projects.
“I expect these four ministries to furnish my office with reports on these directives by the end of this fiscal year,” he said. The President said persons with disabilities must not be deprived of accessibility and social experiences that may enrich them.
In her speech, Malawi Human Rights Commission chairperson Scader Louis bemoaned delays in reviewing the Disability Act, describing it as detrimental to the domestication of international rights treaties.
She said: “As a commission, we join the disability fraternity in calling on government to expedite the repealing of the Handicapped Persons Act and finalise the review of the Disability Act.
“The commission is aware that the review of the Disability Act started in 2016 and is yet to be completed.
“These delays are detrimental to full domestication of the UNCRP[United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities] which includes issues of innovations to support accessibility and inclusivity by persons with disability and also kills the spirit of inclusivity in the Malawi 2063 Agenda.”
On her part, Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati acknowledged delays in the Disability Act review, attributing it to time constraints.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities falls on December 3. It was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992.
This year’s theme was Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fuelling an Accessible and Equitable World. n
