‘Disability voting rights a possibility’
Access to voting for people living with disabilities is hard. And if you do not have the tools to vote, then how can you? The form to register is not easily accessible, manifestos are very difficult to read and it’s hard to get the support to participate
ST: Did you register to vote for the coming elections?
KS: Yes, indeed! I certainly registered to vote when the first phase of the BVR registration blitz was launched. I was probably one of the first people to do so in Masvingo. ST: How did you find the process of registering for the elections as a person living with disability? KS: For me, the process was quite smooth from start to finish essentially because, on one hand, I knew what to expect owing to the fact that I had all the necessary information regarding what was required of me in order to register and on the other hand, I got the sense that the registration officer had received some kind of training for such an eventuality — registering a disabled voter. ST: Did you experience any problems whilst registering for the polls? KS: I did not encounter any problems at all as I had prior experience of this biometric method of capturing personal data, a process widely used in applying for visas to a number of countries I had the opportunity to visit in the past. ST: How best can the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) improve the registration process for people living with disability? KS: The BVR was a good starting point because the VR1 form has a disability category although its scope should be widened. With consultation, the disability categories could be made to reflect the disability situation in the country. ZEC could also train more people with disabilities and take them into their employ so that they serve during such exercises, in the interest of inclusivity. Of course, more importantly, accessibility is central to the participation of most people with disabilities. Hearing impaired would-be registrants need the use of Sign Language during the process, while those with physical and/ or mobility impairments require that the registration facilities and equipment be physically accessible. ST: ZEC says it will consider printing Braille ballot papers for the benefit of voters who are visually-impaired. What is your comment on this? KS: In my view, not all visually impaired people can or want to read Braille. As a matter of fact, many people lose sight at a later stage in life and may not have an opportunity to learn Braille. So, for me, it can indeed be considered as only one of the options in future polls and not particularly this forthcoming one as ZEC needs to conduct wide consultations with the relevant stakeholders on this. There’s also another option of a template ballot instead, which can also be considered. This would obviously only require simple training of visually-impaired people in using a template to guide them where to place their vote on the regular ballot paper. ST: Generally, do you think ZEC is reaching out to people living with disabilities in terms of voter education and voter education materials? KS: Certainly, there’s clearly a need for a concerted effort and commitment to be demonstrated in this regard. Regrettably, resource constraints are always cited as the reason for being unable to produce the requisite voter education material in appropriate formats for people with disabilities, such as in Braille, Large Print, audio and video, as well as Sign Language. ZEC could do much more by identifying partners to work with in providing voter education material in such formats in order to effectively include disabled people in these voter education programmes. ST: Can we totally blame ZEC for everything? Do you think NGOs that work with people living with disabilities are playing their part to sensitise your constituency about the forthcoming elections? KS: We can’t totally blame ZEC for this, but people should also understand that ZEC is the election management body. Therefore, it is obliged and indeed constitutionally charged with the responsibility to ensure that all citizens of this country, inclusive of the 15 percent plus disabled people, are sensitised about the electoral process. NGOs should also, of course, complement the work of ZEC as they operate in the communities around the country. They should also be inclusive in their approach to community sensitisation about elections. ST: Representation in Parliament is still a major problem for people living with disabilities. What do you think are some of the major problems they face in contesting the elections? KS: First of all, it boils down to issues of lack of acceptance and accommodation of disabled people as credible and potentially electable candidates by the various political parties in this country. It has always been extremely difficult for them to get the nod to stand as candidates owing largely to society’s deeply-rooted and pervasive negative attitudes towards them. There is also a general feeling among persons with disabilities that our polls are characterised by political violence and therefore participating in them is highly risky. The other issue is that of financial resources to run a successful campaign. Most persons with disabilities generally do not have the resources to mount political campaigns due to competing needs that are as a direct result of their impairments. Coping with disability is extremely expensive and therefore, involving one’s self in a political campaign would certainly not be a priority for most disabled people. ST: How best do you think the issue of representation can be addressed for people living with disabilities? KS: So far the Constitution provides for two senators, but I think these cannot sufficiently represent the 15 percent plus population of disabled people of this country. While it was a commendable start, people should begin to think seriously about amending that constitutional provision so that it reflects, more sensibly and rationally, the representation of this significant sub-population. We also need representatives in the lower house of Parliament as well. Therefore, political parties could deliberately introduce quota systems for persons with disabilities within their structures in order to provide clear opportunities for them, an approach which some people conveniently call “affirmative action.”
ST: Have you considered contesting elections at some point?
KS: Well, as a disability activist, I strongly believe that failure to participate in any activity, political or otherwise, in which other people ordinarily take part is an assault on social justice which I have committed myself to fighting for.
So, I certainly intend to contest and win elections in the very near future. Definitely not the 2018 poll owing to my doctoral study commitments, but in the very near future, I will be one “hot property” in Zimbabwean politics. You watch the space! ST: President Mnangagwa has demonstrated his willingness to promote peace, tolerance and non-violence in the coming polls. What is your comment on this? KS: His Excellency, the President, is indeed rekindling in the people of this country a sense of the true meaning of peace and tolerance, which all political parties and ordinary citizens should embrace. Political violence is known to contribute significantly to the increase in numbers of disabled people.
So, we should take heed of His Excellency’s clarion call for peace, unity, tolerance and a non-violent 2018 poll. ST: Finally, what is your main message to ZEC and the people of Zimbabwe as they prepare for the 2018 elections? KS: My message to ZEC is very simple. Disabled people are an indispensable and integral part of the Zimbabwean citizenry. It is, therefore, mandatory and not charitable to include them in all programmes relating to the electoral processes. There are more than 400 trained polling observers with disabilities whom ZEC could also engage during the forthcoming election period, as a practical demonstration of inclusivity. To the generality of fellow Zimbabweans, I urge you to demonstrate the same spirit of unity, love, tolerance and political maturity that was so palpable that one could literally touch it, which was evident during the November 2017 Operation Restore Legacy, when we were all part of the change in the course of the history of our beloved country. As a disabled person, I sincerely look forward to a free, transparent, non-violent and credible poll for 2018.