Zimbabwe Begins National Disability Policy Review Amid Funding, Implementation Concerns
By Dumisani Ndlovu — Zimbabwe has begun a nationwide review of its National Disability Policy to address funding gaps, implementation challenges, accessibility and accountability in disability inclusion.
Dumisani Ndlovu 
Harare — Zimbabwe has initiated a nationwide review of its National Disability Policy, placing government resource allocation, institutional delivery and accessibility under public scrutiny as a month-long consultation process gets underway across all ten provinces.
The consultations, which commenced in Matabeleland North on Monday, November 2, convenes disability rights advocates, non-governmental organisations and community representatives to assess the existing policy framework and recommend structural amendments aimed at enforcing inclusion for persons with disabilities.
The policy audit comes at a critical juncture following the passage of the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2025.
While the 2025 legislation established a statutory framework governing disability rights and legal obligations, state officials and civil society groups expect the review to determine whether administrative practices and fiscal disbursements align with the legal standards set by the Act.
Financial transparency and resource distribution form the primary focus of the inquiry.
The Department of Disability Affairs faces detailed oversight regarding the volume of public funds released for disability programs, the efficiency of disbursement channels and the proportion of state aid reaching targeted beneficiaries, particularly in historically underserved rural communities.
Consultation delegates seek to address systemic barriers across key public sectors, including physical access to state infrastructure, public transit networks and telecommunications services.
Discussions also encompass non-discriminatory access to primary and tertiary education, healthcare provision, rehabilitation services and the centralised procurement of assistive devices such as mobility aids, visual equipment and albinism care products.
The review is structured to evaluate mechanisms for expanding economic participation, establishing reliable disability-disaggregated data for state planning and strengthening institutional coordination to hold non-compliant public and private bodies accountable.
Central to these deliberations is the inclusion of marginalised demographics, specifically women, children, persons with multiple impairments and rural residents, in ongoing policy drafting.
The Department of Disability Affairs is slated to present a detailed account of the administrative failures identified in the current policy, publish the methodological framework governing the provincial hearings and outline the protocol for integrating public submissions into the finalized national policy draft.
Following the initial hearings in Matabeleland North, the consultation team convenes in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province on Wednesday, November 4, before proceeding to Gwanda in Matabeleland South on Friday, November 6.
Simultaneous hearings will take place in Gweru (Midlands Province) and Bindura (Mashonaland Central) on Monday November 9, followed by sessions in Chinhoyi (Mashonaland West) and Masvingo on November 11.
The nationwide schedule concludes with consultations in Mutare (Manicaland) on November 23, Marondera (Mashonaland East) on November 25 and Harare Metropolitan Province on November 27, ahead of the final policy drafting phase.
