The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act, 2013

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Excerpted from the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act, 2013 (PDF)


22 Persons with disabilities

(1) The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must recognise the rights of persons with physical or mental disabilities, in particular their right to be treated with respect and dignity.

(2) The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must, within the limits of the resources available to them, assist persons with physical or mental disabilities to achieve their full potential and to minimise the disadvantages suffered by them.

(3) In particular, the State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must—

  1. develop programmes for the welfare of persons with physical or mental disabilities, especially work programmes consistent with their capabilities and acceptable to them or their legal representatives;
  2. consider the specific requirements of persons with all forms of disability as one of the priorities in development plans;
  3. encourage the use and development of forms of communication suitable for persons with physical or mental disabilities; and
  4. foster social organisations aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with all forms of disability.

(4) The State must take appropriate measures to ensure that buildings and amenities to which the public has access are accessible to persons with disabilities.


56 Equality and non–discrimination

(1) All persons are equal before the law and have the right to equal protection and benefit of the law.

(2) Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres.

(3) Every person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, nculture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock.

(4) A person is treated in a discriminatory manner for the purpose of subsection (3)

if—

  1. they are subjected directly or indirectly to a condition, restriction or disability to which other people are not subjected; or
  2. other people are accorded directly or indirectly a privilege or advantage which they are not accorded.

(5) Discrimination on any of the grounds listed in subsection (3) is unfair unless it is established that the discrimination is fair, reasonable and justifiable in a democratic society based on openness, justice, human dignity, equality and freedom.

(6) The State must take reasonable legislative and other measures to promote the achievement of equality and to protect or advance people or classes of people who have been disadvantaged by unfair discrimination, and—

  1. such measures must be taken to redress circumstances of genuine need;
  2. no such measure is to be regarded as unfair for the purposes of subsection (3).