Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba, has met with various organizations representing persons with disabilities to constitute a committee dedicated to effectively addressing the seventeen (17) recommendations they made to President Hakainde Hichilema.

The engagement follows President Hichilema’s directive during yesterday’s meeting with the organizations at State House where he directed that a committee be formed to effectively streamline their recommendations.

During today’s meeting, the Minister announced that the President has since approved 14 out of the 17 recommendations with the remaining to undergo further engagements.

The recommendations submitted by the organizations included elevating the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) to the office of the Vice President, expediting the process of implementing inclusive education in Zambia and an urgent need to nominate persons with disabilities to the National Assembly.

Other recommendations were to Gazette the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) as a national official public Holiday, ratify the African Disability Protocol, and amend the Persons with Disabilities Act.

Ms. Mwamba therefore assured that the newly formed 14-member committee would work swiftly to address and refine the outstanding issues in preparation for International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

She emphasized the importance of coordination, urging the organizations to align their efforts to effectively tackle the challenges they face.

And Zambia Federation of Disability Organizations (ZAFOD) Federal Director, Mr. Justine Bbakali, called for collaboration among the organizations, urging them to avoid antagonism and instead coordinate to support the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of persons with disabilities.