Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare (MoPSLSW) Hon Prof Paul Mavima urged Zimbabweans as a society to refrain from engaging in practices that perpetuate the stigmatisation of persons with disabilities in Harare on Thursday.
Speaking at the belated commemorations of the World Mental Health Day , Mavima said that he was aware that mental health challenges manifest in different ways that may include challenges with intellectual functioning and daily living activities such as communication, bathing and eating.
He also further noted that some persons with intellectual disabilities have dual conditions that include cerebral palsy,epilepsy, depression, anxiety disorders and autism.
“Disability in Zimbabwe is commonly associated with witchcraft, evil spirits and the breaking of traditional taboos”, he said. He added that it was common to find out that mothers who five birth to children with disabilities being blamed and abandoned by their partners or husbands.
“As the world including Zimbabwe , moves from exclusion to inclusion, the days of tying persons with mental disability with ropes or locking them up in homes and keeping them in isolation should be a thing of the past”, said Minister Mavima in his speech.
L’ Arche Zimbabwe an charity organisation which is a community of people living with and without disabilities hosted the commemorations.
“L’ Arche Zimbabwe is there to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disability”, said L’ Arche board chairperson Francisca Kombe.
World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Debra Machando Clinical Psychologist said WHO applauds the initiative by MoPLSLSW in partnership with L’ Arche to create communities with a culture of shared lives between people with and without disabilities.
“In a global survey led by WHO on mental health and Covid-19 between June and August, 27 of 28 African countries responded indicated mental health and psychosocial support was included in the national Covid-19 response plan, but only 17 had funding for the planned activities. This affirms the importance of this year’s theme if investing in mental health”, she said.
This year’s celebrations of World Mental Health Day 2020 were held under the theme “More for Mental Health” Let’s invest”.
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