BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– Inclusion for all!
This is what the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Plan and Review of Climate Change Strategy Adaptation Sectors Workshop revealed, that people with disabilities and the youth want to be included in the climate change movement.
This was revealed by Vusi Mntungwa, a member of the Federation of People living with Disabilities in Eswatini (FODSWA), today at Royal Villas in Ezulwini.
During the stakeholders’ workshop, Mntungwa said it was fundamental for people living with disabilities to be included in all the country’s action plans, including climate change movements.
“The challenge is that we are excluded from all activities from childhood. By the time we reach the age where we can contribute to policy formulations we are used to being side-lined we find ourselves not contributing.
“Government and all stakeholders should include us in such initiative as we have an input to make. We can contribute more than the work we do with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office,” said Mntungwa.
Yesterday, we revealed that the Government of Eswatini and its partners are working around the clock for climate action.
With the world declaring the climate crisis a climate disaster, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, through the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), is in the process of developing plans to improve climate change plans in the country.
Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Khangeziwe Mabuza said there was an urgent need for climate action in the country. Mabuza was represented by the Ministry’s Under Secretary Zwakele Dlamini.
He said this this morning at Royal Villas in Ezulwini while opening the Adaptation Sectors workshop to finalize the NDC Implementation Plan and review of the Climate Change Strategy.
“We are gathered here to look at the draft NDC Implementation Plan and get inputs from you stakeholders to finalise this important document. The plan will help guide actions to achieve NDC measures and identify which institutions are responsible for the actions. This is a ‘costed’ action plan and some preliminary costs have been provided, which need your inputs to fill gaps and finalise.
“We are also here to review Eswatini’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which was from 2016-2020. It’s time to take stock of what we have achieved and what lessons we can learn to improve (sic),” said the PS. He then said he called on each and every one of the attendees to be fully involved in this workshop as it was a chance to shape two national documents and give your inputs to better the country.
