The Disability Rights Watch has expressed concern that Zambia does not have a policy to allow a certain percentage of land to be left for people with disabilities.
Organization Programmes Coordinator Bruce Chooma tells Money FM News that even in the current Draft National Land Policy, issues of access to land by people living with disabilities is not coming out clearly.
Mr. Chooma says it will be good to leave a certain percentage of available land to people living with disabilities the way it is with women.
He said disadvantaged people too have capacity to contribute to economic development of the country.
He said through the Land Access project in Luapula Province, the Samfya Municipal Council is leaving 5 percent of available land to people living with disabilities.
“We implore all local authorities across the country to emulate the Samfya council in leaving a certain percentage of available land to people living with disabilities. These people too have the capacity to productively utilize the land and hence the need to help them,” he said.
Mr. Chooma said his organization, being part of the Zambia Land Alliance, has been proposing that 15 percent of available land across the country is left to people with disabilities so that they too can have access to land.
Meanwhile, the Disability Rights Watch has encouraged local authorities across the country to provide a waiver in terms of council levies and other taxes for people living with disabilities.
Mr. Chooma says this will help and encourage people living with disabilities to participate in different businesses.
Mr. Chooma has told Money FM News that this will work well in line with the Seventh National Development Plan of not leaving anyone behind.