First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Honourable Malungo Chisangano, MP, launched a Parliamentary Caucus on Disability Inclusion and Rights (PCDI&R) aimed at enhancing the welfare of persons with physical challenges, on Monday, 2nd October, 2023 at Parliament Buildings in Lusaka.

Honourable Chisagano urged the Members of Parliament to use the Parliamentary Caucus as a platform to dialogue and mobilise support on issues concerning persons with physical challenges. Additionally, she encouraged the Members to use the Parliamentary Caucus to provide checks and balances by scrutinizing all laws and legislation pertaining to the inclusion of persons with physical challenges, so as to ensure that they are in line with their interests.

Speaking at the launch, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Disability Inclusion and Rights, Mr Joseph S. Musanje MP, said that in the past “persons with physical challenges, in Zambia had not been given the adequate attention they deserved in the area of legislative and policy making and negotiations” hence the Caucus would be used as a platform to receive and submit concerns on various issues affecting them.”

German Ambassador to Zambia, Ms Anne Wagner Mitchell, said she was hopeful that the initiative would promote the inclusion of persons with physical challenges, through greater access to education, health, employment, inclusive national budget, access funding from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and more appointments of persons with physical challenges in decision making positions at all levels.”

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Finland to Zambia, Ms Sanna Halinen commended the National Assembly for establishing a Member led Caucus on Disability Inclusion and Rights, stressing the need for the Caucus to maintain an active engagement with communities to fully understand the existing challenges faced by people with physical challenges.

Pupils from both the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Special Unit and Kapilyomba Primary School shared touching stories and called on Members of Parliament, the Government and Stakeholders to implement the above interventions into actions rather than just mere words. They also appealed to the Government to build more schools for special needs with assistive devices for learning as well as examination, to cushion the challenges that deal with various disabilities.