Residents unite against abuse of disabled

SIZINDA residents held an awareness campaign against the kidnapping and taking advantage of children with disabilities last Wednesday after a disabled man from the area was found dead in a dam at Umguza and residents believe that he was kidnapped.

Elson Phiri (28) was said to have been kidnapped and killed by unknown people and was found in a mortuary at one of the hospitals in Bulawayo three weeks later. He had a stroke when he was two years old.

Speaking at the ceremony Mr Sevina Ncube said, “The awareness is raised to put a system in place that there is no disappearance of kids again in Sizinda. People should unite and protect all physically challenged children or other persons whom the community knows that they can be a target.”

He said residents’ association should be active, unite people and people must not be divided as this will create hate rage that will make other people to have ignorance of other people’s children.

“Headmasters should put a system that will protect children when they are at school by ensuring that the person coming to collect the child is known by the teacher. Parents should also appeal to the school when their children are not coming to school.”

Mr Ncube encouraged parents to make rules at their homes especially for children because some children take advantage of their parents since there would be no rules that they should abide by.

He said people with disabilities also need freedom and they should be protected.

One of the residents said, “We are waiting for the perpetrators to come out, if we catch them we will not have mercy because we lost a son that no one will ever cover his gap in our hearts.”

He said Elson used to watch soccer at a nearby ground and people would give him money because of the love they had for him.