By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
THE Zambia Deaf Youth and Women (ZDYW) and the Southern African Litigation Centre say they will file in an appeal to challenge the judgement by the High Court to dismiss a constitutional challenge of the denial of driving licenses to deaf people.
ZDYW Executive Director Frankson Musukwa said the court did not use a human rights-based approach that looked at recognising and removing barriers that prevented persons with disabilities from enjoying their rights on the same basis as others.
Dr Musukwa said the Judgement was an infringement on the constitutional and internationally- recognized human rights of deaf people in Zambia.
On November 15, 2019, the petitioners filed an application in the high court of Zambia challenging the constitutionality of the application of section 62 as read with section 59 and section 68 of the Road Safety Act No.11 of 2002 to deny deaf people driving licenses solely based on being deaf.
They argued that these were violations of their rights to equality and freedom from discrimination, freedom of movement and privacy and enshrined on the constitution of Zambia.
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