Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa will officiate at the Zimbabwe National Disability Expo 2026 in Masvingo on Friday, as Government intensifies efforts to promote disability inclusion and economic empowerment.
The three-day expo, which runs from June 24 to 26 at Mucheke Stadium under the theme, “Embracing Disability Inclusion in all Sectors: A Master Stroke for National Prosperity and Economic Development”, was approved by Cabinet following a report presented by the Acting Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on State Occasions and National Monuments, Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe.
Speaking during the post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Zhemu Soda said preparations for the national event are on course.
The Zimbabwe National Disability Expo is a Government initiative aimed at empowering persons with disabilities and providing a platform for them, alongside Government ministries, departments, agencies, civil society organisations and communities, to showcase their capabilities and contributions to national development.
The expo places persons with disabilities at the centre of planning and decision-making, while its rotational hosting model across the country’s ten provinces is designed to take inclusion and empowerment initiatives to grassroots communities.
In line with the event’s inclusivity agenda, 70 percent of the entertainment programme will be provided by persons with disabilities.
Infrastructure upgrades have already been completed at Mucheke Stadium, including the construction of a disability-inclusive ablution block and the refurbishment of volleyball, tennis and basketball courts to improve accessibility through universal design principles.
A total of 500 exhibitors are expected to participate, with 438 having already paid exhibition fees.
The event will also have an international dimension, with 24 exhibitors from eight countries, India, Eswatini, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia, having confirmed attendance.
The international participants are expected to showcase best practices and innovations while exchanging experiences with their Zimbabwean counterparts.
“The international exhibitors will showcase their abilities and best practices while they benchmark the progress milestones for Zimbabwe, and vice-versa,” Dr Soda said.
As part of the empowerment programme, President Mnangagwa is expected to donate various assets to persons with disabilities, including pigs, goats, residential stands for beneficiaries drawn from local authorities across Masvingo Province, a commercial stand in Masvingo City, hammer mills for small-scale miners with disabilities, water pumps and solar panels.
Government has also established Village Business Units at Jairos Jiri Centre, Copota School for the Blind, Henry Murray School and Mukume School in Mwenezi as part of broader efforts to support self-sustaining livelihoods for persons with disabilities.
Masvingo Province has long played a significant role in disability rehabilitation and empowerment, being home to several institutions serving persons with disabilities, including Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital, Henry Murray School for the Deaf, Copota School for the Blind, Jairos Jiri Training Centre and Mukume Primary School.
The province is also recognised as the home of the late Jairos Jiri, whose pioneering work in disability rehabilitation left a lasting legacy that continues to shape empowerment initiatives across Zimbabwe.
“The late Jairos Jiri, who originated from Masvingo, was a towering figure in supporting rehabilitation of persons with disabilities across the country, and left a legacy in Masvingo and the country at large which needs to be remembered and sustained,” he said.
