Phalombe Council by-laws to protect the disabled

Phalombe District Council, in collaboration with Malawi National Association for the Deaf (Manad), has developed by-laws to protect persons with physical disabilities in the district.

A full council meeting last week agreed to introduce stiff punishments to those who violate rights of people with disabilities before being taken to court.

Among others, the by-laws propose that  traditional leaders and other stakeholders should include people with disabilities in different development committees; chiefs and village committees must investigate any person who wants to marry a person with disability before they tie the knot, any person who has impregnated a disabled person should be forced to marry them and take care of the baby and that parents that keep their disabled children away from school should pay a penalty of K15 000.

In an interview, Manad programmes officer Bruno Mwase said his organisation saw a communication gap between communities and people with disabilities; hence, the introduction of the by-laws.

“We have witnessed different cases where people with hearing impairment being abused because of communication breakdown,” he said.

Phalombe district commissioner Gossam Mafuta asked chiefs to take the newly-introduced by-laws to villagers and ensure that they are being implemented. n