For immediate publication
Historic victory for inclusion as Zimbabwe enacts landmark disability rights law
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially signed the Persons with Disabilities Act 2025 into law, delivering a historic victory for the country’s 1.5 million people with disabilities.
The enactment of this law is the culmination of work led by the Equal Zimbabwe, a coalition of over 20 organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and civil society groups supported by Sightsavers.
The groundbreaking legislation replaces the 1992 Disabled Persons Act with comprehensive rights-based law that aligns Zimbabwe with both the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (ADP).
Senzeni Mutevedzi, Vice Chairperson of the Equal Zimbabwe campaign said: “Nothing about us without us is now the law of the land. We salute lawmakers for heeding our voices and we remain ready to help turn legal text into real-world change. This law does not just give us rights on paper; it gives us the tools to claim our rightful place in society. We thank Sightsavers and all our partners who never gave up on this fight.”
The new Act introduces several measures including prohibiting discrimination in employment, education, and public services while mandating reasonable accommodations across society. It also empowers the courts to issue adjustment orders compelling building owners and service providers to make premises accessible, thereby removing barriers that have excluded people with disabilities for decades.
Peter Bare, Country Director of Sightsavers Zimbabwe added, “The passage of this act is a significant achievement, and we are proud of the collaborative efforts made through the Equal Zimbabwe campaign to reach this historic milestone. We’re happy to celebrate the work that has been done to uphold disability rights in Zimbabwe. Ahead of us there is a lot of work still to do.
“The next step is to ensure effective implementation: we implore and encourage the Second Republic of Zimbabwe to allocate more resources and establish oversight mechanisms to ensure that this law translates into tangible improvements in the lives of people with disabilities, and in line with the mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.”
The Equal Zimbabwe campaign, led by Sightsavers alongside key partners including FODPZ and the National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH), mobilised sustained advocacy since 2024 that proved decisive in securing parliamentary passage of the bill and the presidential assent.
The Equal Zimbabwe campaign will now focus on supporting the Government of Zimbabwe with the initial stages of implementing the Persons with Disabilities Act and the National Disability Policy.
This next phase of the campaign will prioritise collaboration with government institutions, ensuring that the frameworks established are translated into tangible actions that promote inclusion, accessibility, and equal rights for persons with disabilities across the country.
For more information, inquiries or to set up interviews, please contact Peter Bare pbare@sightsavers.org on +263 773 287 4802.
