Thisability Hub hails the newly appointed Nasper Manyau as Senator for Persons with Disabilities in Zimbabwe. Prior to her appointment Hon. Manyau held a number of roles from being a certified life coach, a disability activist, a trusted daughter, to being a mother. Disability advocacy has landed her in a number of platforms such as woman leadership, development and good governance. Empowerment through education is what she believes to be the key to financial independence and the empowerment of persons with disabilities. She alluded to the fact that there can only be accessible and inclusive environments once people in all sectors including those in leadership roles begin to understand the true nature and meaning of disability.
Her goals as she steps into a new role are to:
- Advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Lobby for equal access to education for all especially children and youth with disabilities.
- Advocate for improved access to health for all.
Above all she says inclusion in the education system is pertinent to fulfilling all the desired goals. Once we catch them young teaching children in schools about disabilities from a tender age will bring matured awareness rather than to start sensitizing people around disabilities as fully grown individuals.
Hon. Manyau believes that a strong inclusive education system that leaves no one and no child behind will bring the greatest achievements beyond our imagination. She visualises a Zimbabwe that has no beggars with disabilities nor vendors with disabilities on the streets as everyone with a disability will be empowered through education and opportunities to generate income whether through formal employment or self-employment.
The issues of gender based violence and sexual abuse especially against girls and women with disabilities are a cancer she intends to eradicate mercilessly. Hon. Manyau mentioned that she will do all within her limits to ensure no woman or girl with disability will become a victim of gender based violence and or any form of abuse. “The days of early childhood marriages for girl children with disabilities are numbered”, she said.
“Imagine looking around seeing professionals with or without disabilities working together as equals in universally accessible environments that were crafted and designed with persons with disabilities in mind”, mentioned Senator Manyau. She went on to highlight that one of her key objectives is to lobby for universally accessible places, products and services throughout Zimbabwe.
Our newly appointed senator wishes to see the same movement that is being done for women in gender equality being done for persons with disabilities especially in the lower house of Assembly stating that, ‘’It should be mandatory that there is equal representation of all forms of disabilities in Parliament because people with disabilities by virtue of having a disability places them in the vulnerable role due to the environment and attitudinal barriers that we the people of Zimbabwe have created such that disability goes hand in hand with poverty’’.
The appointment of Hon. Manyau is a positive step towards ensuring people with various disabilities are empowered and included on an equal basis with others. Speaking on her appointment she declared that she is Passionate about disability issues and Equal representation of persons with disabilities in all the sectors as she pledged to:
- Work with everyone , that is persons with and persons without disabilities.
- Come up with projects for persons with disabilities in remote areas..
- Make a move towards a 100% access to quality inclusive education.
- Push for equal representation of disabilities in parliament especially the lower house of assembly.
- Advance the rights of persons with disabilities especially girls and women with disabilities.
Hon Manyau just after winning the elections
Hon. Manyau won a hotly contested election where she gained victory by narrowly beating runner up former Senator Anna Shiri by 1 vote. The electoral college was held in May 2022 to replace Senator Senator Timire who sadly lost her life due to Covid related complications in 2021.
Thisability Hub wishes Hon. Manyau well in her new role. Congrats, makorokoto anhlope Hon Senator Nasper Manyau!