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Harare-In a formal submission to Parliament’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Committee, the Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT) urged the 2026 Budget Strategy Paper to concretely align with the National Disability Policy (2021) and other international standards.
The executive director of DACT, Henry Chivhanga, delivered the written remarks, saying that inclusive governance remains an ideal aspirational unless funding follows policy.
Chivhanga, who has previously navigated both domestic and international disability advocacy, said that “while the strategy paper acknowledges transformation and growth, millions of Zimbabweans with disabilities still face barriers to education, healthcare, livelihoods, and dignity due to gaps in budgeting and documentation.”
He emphasized that disability inclusion must be “budgetary in essence,” not merely aspirational,”
The submission outlines four critical gaps in the current 2026 Budget Strategy Paper which include absence of Disability-Responsive Budgeting.
No ring-fenced allocations for disability programs as well as lack of performance indicators and tracking mechanism.
DACT also noted the absence of disaggregated data to monitor disability impact.
The association urged the government to introduce ring-fenced allocations across ministries as well as Developing a Disability Inclusion Scorecard.
“There is need for the state to prioritize persons with disabilities in agriculture, housing, and disaster preparedness as well as to integrate disability indicators in climate resilience planning,” Chivhanga added.
DACT’s submission also calls for greater alignment with national consultations and Zimbabwe Human Right Commission (ZHRC) recommendations, asserting that the 2026 Budget Strategy Paper presents a pivotal opportunity to embed disability inclusion into Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.
The organization affirmed its readiness to support implementation, monitoring, and stakeholder engagement and welcomed further dialogue with the Committee signaling ongoing collaboration with Parliament to ensure that no citizen is left behind in Zimbabwe’s development trajectory.
The Committee is expected to consider the proposals as it crafts the 2026 budget strategy, with implications for disability policy, data collection, infrastructure planning, and climate resilience initiatives.
DACT said the budget should consider the President of Zimbabwe mantra “Leaving no one and no place behind”
The Finance Minister, Prof. Mthuli Ncube is expected to present the approved budget in Parliament November after the national consultations are completed.
