HARARE —
People living with disabilities today besieged Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s offices in Harare demanding their monthly allowances which they claim have not been paid for more than eight years.
The demonstrators waved placards demanding the immediate payment of their disability allowances.
Some of the placards read: “Disability does not mean inability, treat us like human beings”.
One of the demonstrators, Tendai Dimikira, said the failure by the government to look after people living with disabilities is a cause for concern.
Another demonstrator, Sithokozile Mathuthu, said government had not honored its promise to look after them as the social service system in the country has failed to cope.
Representatives of the protesters failed to meet Mr. Biti but held a meeting with some officials from his ministry who reportedly promised to discuss the issue with the minister.
Studio 7 failed to get a comment from Mr. Biti and Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paurina Gwanyanya Mpariwa, who were both said to be in parliament.
However, the finance minister is on record as saying government coffers are empty and cannot meet all the demands of the country’s citizens.
Meanwhile, a Harare High Court judge today upheld the decision of a Bindura magistrate granting bail to Solomon Madzore, youth leader of the MDC formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accused of insulting President Robert Mugabe.
Madzore is accused of likening Mr. Mugabe to a “limping donkey” at a rally at Mushumbi Pools in the Mbire district of Mashonaland Central province last month.
State attorney Munyaradzi Mataranyika last week invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to deny Madzore his freedom saying he was a flight risk, a claim which the High Court judge Felistas Chatukuta dismissed.
Justice Chatukuta dismissed the state application and ordered the immediate release of Madzore.
The demonstrators waved placards demanding the immediate payment of their disability allowances.
Some of the placards read: “Disability does not mean inability, treat us like human beings”.
One of the demonstrators, Tendai Dimikira, said the failure by the government to look after people living with disabilities is a cause for concern.
Another demonstrator, Sithokozile Mathuthu, said government had not honored its promise to look after them as the social service system in the country has failed to cope.
Representatives of the protesters failed to meet Mr. Biti but held a meeting with some officials from his ministry who reportedly promised to discuss the issue with the minister.
Studio 7 failed to get a comment from Mr. Biti and Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paurina Gwanyanya Mpariwa, who were both said to be in parliament.
However, the finance minister is on record as saying government coffers are empty and cannot meet all the demands of the country’s citizens.
Meanwhile, a Harare High Court judge today upheld the decision of a Bindura magistrate granting bail to Solomon Madzore, youth leader of the MDC formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accused of insulting President Robert Mugabe.
Madzore is accused of likening Mr. Mugabe to a “limping donkey” at a rally at Mushumbi Pools in the Mbire district of Mashonaland Central province last month.
State attorney Munyaradzi Mataranyika last week invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to deny Madzore his freedom saying he was a flight risk, a claim which the High Court judge Felistas Chatukuta dismissed.
Justice Chatukuta dismissed the state application and ordered the immediate release of Madzore.
