DISABILITY RIGHTS WATCH PROPOSES AMBASSADORIAL AWARD IN HONOUR OF PRESIDENT SATA

We receive the death of our President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata with great pain and misbelieve. Persons with disabilities will remember the late President for his courage and boldness in dealing with work and development related issues. The President struggled for all Zambians while exhibiting a sense of both humour and seriousness at the same time.

The first thing President Sata did for persons with disabilities when he came into power was to quickly enact the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2012. The Act domesticates the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The government struggled on to develop a National Disability Policy and its Implementation Plan. Government has also developed the National Disability Mainstreaming Plan. All this was under the able hand of Mr. Sata.

For the first time, after close to ten years, the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities received an 80% increase from government in the 2014 budget. In most of his commitments Michael Sata never forgot persons with disabilities.

It is in view of the above that Zambia will be receiving an Ambassadorial Country Award from the Secretariat of the African Decade on Disability, now called the African Disability Alliance (ADA). The Award will be handed over to government on 3^rd December, 2014. 3^rd December is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Sata was to receive the Award on behalf of the Zambians. Today he is gone.

We strongly propose that the Award be a dedication to him. It should be called the “Michael Sata Ambassadorial Award to Zambia”.

May His Soul Rest In Peace