Greatman Gwaze, a Harare resident and musician who uses a wheelchair, has given the City of Harare (CoH) a 2-week ultimatum to ensure full and equal access to public and private amenities for people with disabilities.
Gwaze’s lawyer sent a letter to the CoH Town Clerk, stating that Gwaze has suffered prejudice due to lack of accessibility at various locations including shopping malls, restaurants, and police stations.
In the letter written to CoH on 27 September 2024 by Gwaze’s lawyer Moses Nkomo of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Gwaze said that the lack of universal design and accessibility has prevented him from living independently and participating fully in public life, forcing him to rely on others for assistance.
Gwaze cited the provisions of section 56(3) of the Constitution which states that every person has a right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their nationality, race, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock.
According to Gwaze, section 83 of the Constitution guarantees the rights of persons with disabilities and these rights include the right to be self-reliant.
He also argued that section 22 of the Constitution provides that the state and other institutions of government at every level must within the limits of resources available, assist persons with physical or mental disabilities to achieve their full potential and to minimise the disadvantages suffered by them.
The musician demanded that CoH provide its Disabled Persons Policy, Building By-Laws plans for implementing universal design, and timelines for compliance by building owners.
Gwaze warned that he will take legal action against CoH if the requested information was not provided within 14 days.
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