News / National
Mugabe undergoes dental surgery
11 Feb 2014 at 13:26hrs | Views
President Mugabe said he had dental surgery moments before he left for Malawi on Sunday.
Mugabe spoke about his surgery as he joked about how he was feeling disabled himself as he struggled to pronounce some words because of the surgery. His health is under increasing spotlight as he celebrates his 90th birthday this month.
Mugabe is in Malawi where he delivered a keynote address at the ongoing African Leaders Forum on Disability. Mugabe challenged Africa to do more for people living with disabilities and not be dictated upon by outsiders.
"We shall not have outsiders telling us what to do," he said. "The people of Malawi will make their own decisions, the people of Zimbabwe will make their own decisions." Themed "Ability in a New Africa", the President's address challenged educational institutions and workplaces to consider the abilities of people living with physical, mental and developmental disabilities.
"Universities did not have the necessary facilities (for people with disabilities)," he said. "Can they move from one area of the university to the other, from one floor to the other? Our institutions of learning as well as workplaces must take into account that there are people . . . who cannot move like the able-bodied."
The President said children living with disabilities should be treated like any other and included in sporting and other activities. He said people with disabilities in Zimbabwe looked forward to the local version of paralympic games that was managed by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.
"Perhaps they don't have an arm, but they still have their two legs and can still run," he said.
President Mugabe said countries like Botswana sent athletes to participate in the Zimbabwean paralympics and urged Malawi to be part of the next edition of the games.
"The starting point is ourselves, people in Government, to provide for the disabled physically and morally," he said. "The responsibility is ours, together with people at the grassroots to cater for the needs of people with disabilities.
"They should know that when we say disability is not inability we mean it. We are not just saying so to please them. I am glad that the AU has taken up the issue, but I would have loved to see a greater presence of the AU here."
Mugabe spoke about his surgery as he joked about how he was feeling disabled himself as he struggled to pronounce some words because of the surgery. His health is under increasing spotlight as he celebrates his 90th birthday this month.
Mugabe is in Malawi where he delivered a keynote address at the ongoing African Leaders Forum on Disability. Mugabe challenged Africa to do more for people living with disabilities and not be dictated upon by outsiders.
"We shall not have outsiders telling us what to do," he said. "The people of Malawi will make their own decisions, the people of Zimbabwe will make their own decisions." Themed "Ability in a New Africa", the President's address challenged educational institutions and workplaces to consider the abilities of people living with physical, mental and developmental disabilities.
"Universities did not have the necessary facilities (for people with disabilities)," he said. "Can they move from one area of the university to the other, from one floor to the other? Our institutions of learning as well as workplaces must take into account that there are people . . . who cannot move like the able-bodied."
The President said children living with disabilities should be treated like any other and included in sporting and other activities. He said people with disabilities in Zimbabwe looked forward to the local version of paralympic games that was managed by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.
"Perhaps they don't have an arm, but they still have their two legs and can still run," he said.
President Mugabe said countries like Botswana sent athletes to participate in the Zimbabwean paralympics and urged Malawi to be part of the next edition of the games.
"The starting point is ourselves, people in Government, to provide for the disabled physically and morally," he said. "The responsibility is ours, together with people at the grassroots to cater for the needs of people with disabilities.
"They should know that when we say disability is not inability we mean it. We are not just saying so to please them. I am glad that the AU has taken up the issue, but I would have loved to see a greater presence of the AU here."
Source - online
