Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Matabeleland yesterday said the Human Rights Commission should be independent to ensure proper investigations of human rights violations and prevent it from being directed by politicians.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the National Association for Non-Governmental Organisations (Nango), the CSOs said the commission was largely influenced by political inclinations hence there was need to urgently assess its structures.
“There is need for the general public’s involvement in the appointment of individuals as human rights commissioners. Short-listing of candidates should be done by the people, not political parties,” Matabeleland Constitutional Reform Agenda leader Effie Ncube said.
“The Human Rights Commission has political agendas, it deliberately makes it impossible for those who were victims of Gukurahundi to make their claims. Zanu PF is very selfish. It wants to protect its supporters and sideline the Gukurahundi and 2008 elections victims where most human rights violations were perpetrated,” said Ncube.
“The Human Rights Commission is biased towards politics, but as CSOs we can lobby for the involvement of the media, CSOs and the public in the reformation of the commission to ensure that all human rights violations are prioritised and not neglected,” Nango board member Anglestone Sibanda said.
The Human Rights Bill was gazetted on June 10 this year and states in part that:
“The Commission shall not investigate a complaint—unless the aggrieved person was a citizen, resident or visitor of Zimbabwe at the time when the action or omission complained of occurred, and the complaint is made within three years from the date on which the action or omission occurred and provides that investigation shall not relate to an action or omission that occurred earlier than the 13th February 2009.”
The groups also vowed to continue pressing for the Gukurahundi massacres to remain on the national and international agenda until government publicly acknowledged liability.
