Protecting, Promoting and Enforcing Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom
8.0 Enforcement of Human Rights
The enforcement mandate of the ZHRC entails the implementation of its decisions and
recommendations. The Constitution confers power on the ZHRC for the enforcement
of human rights. The Commission has been able to make recommendations to
Parliament and other stakeholders which have been well received and implemented.
The following highlight the enforcement mandate of the Commission;
8.1 Hurungwe West By-Election Investigation
The ZHRC conducted an investigation wherein the Complainant was an Independent
Candidate for the Hurungwe West Constituency in the 10 June 2015 By-Elections. He
lodged a complaint with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) alleging that, the
atmosphere of intimidation created by ZANU-PF a contesting party in the same elections
made it impossible to have free and fair elections come 10 June 2015.The complaint was
then passed on to the ZHRC to investigate in terms of Section 133H of the Electoral Act
[Chapter 2:13]. The investigation pointed to human rights violations of the independent
candidate and his supporters. The Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic
Police was directed to investigate the human rights violations which occurred in
Hurungwe West Constituency and ensure that all the perpetrators of violence face the full
wrath of the law. This is in line with Section 243 (1) (h) of the Constitution which empowers
the ZHRC to direct the Commissioner –General of Police to investigate cases of
suspected criminal violations of human rights or freedoms and to report to the
Commission on any such investigations.
8.2 Springfarm Investigations
An investigation was conducted by the ZHRC following a complaint by one of the
candidates leading to the 10 June 2015 By-election. The complainant alleged human
rights violations against his candidature by members of another contesting party. The
ZHRC at the end of the investigations, made recommendations one of which was to direct
the Commissioner General of Police in terms of Section 243 (1)(h) of the Constitution of
Zimbabwe to investigate the alleged human rights violations and ensure that the
perpetrators were brought to book.
8.3 Recommendations of the Commission
The ZHRC, following its activities on monitoring and investigations, prepares reports
with recommendations to the various stakeholders which reports are placed in the
public domain as a point of reference. Although the Commission's recommendation
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2015
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