The Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) notes with great excitement and satisfaction the announcement by the Government of Zimbabwe of its intention to set up a National Human Rights Commission, as announced by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Chinamasa and reported in the Sunday Mail of March 26 to April 1 2006. In this regard SAHRIT extends its congratulations to the Government of Zimbabwe.
SAHRIT notes that it has in previous cooperation with government institutions shared its concern with these government institutions over the absence of a Zimbabwean Human Rights Commission and therefore SAHRIT applauds the government in instituting the Commission.
Further SAHRIT recommends to the Government of Zimbabwe, to ensure that the proposed Human Rights Commission be fully effective, that the proposed Human Rights Commission be established in accordance with the Principles relating to the Status and Functioning of National Institutions for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights (also known as the Paris Principles). Especially SAHRIT enjoins the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure the following principles: independence and impartiality; sufficiently clear and broad constitutional and legislative basis for full functionality; diversity of membership of the Human Rights Commission; credible procedures for the appointment and removal of members; an independent budget that meets the needs of the Commission; and a wide mandate to deal with all human rights issues in Zimbabwe.
SAHRIT hopes and believes that the Government of Zimbabwe will receive the full cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure that the proposed Human Rights Commission will be effective. In this regard SAHRIT urges all civil society organizations to assist the Government of Zimbabwe in establishing and operationalising the Human Rights Commission.
SAHRIT urges the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that the Human Rights Commission’s mandate extends to both civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights and to all cases regardless of the status of the alleged violator.
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