12. CONCLUSION ZHRC succeeded in completing most of the planned activities for the period under review. Some of the highlights for 2016 amongst others relate to the recognition of ZHRC by GANHRI which granted the Commission an accreditation with an “A” Class Status, accreditation to the IOI as a voting member, as well as the official opening of the offices of the Commission which is an indication to the public that the organisation is set and fully operational in promoting, protecting and addressing human rights issues in this country. The operations of the Commission have come a long way and therefore, the continued financial and technical support from Government, Development Partners, and CSOs is greatly acknowledged. The building and maintenance of partnerships with various stakeholders has assisted the Commission in implementing the scheduled activities for the year. ZHRC has been fully involved in raising awareness, monitoring, investigating and recording the human rights issues of 2016 in furtherance of encouraging the respect of all human rights. Through stakeholder engagements and outreaches, the Commission utilised these platforms to educate the public on numerous human rights issues as well as distribute promotional material which communicates the work of ZHRC. The operations of the TWGs also contributed towards ZHRC reaching out to various stakeholders, discussing pertinent issues that affect different human rights thematic sectors and compiling action points towards the protection of these rights. The capacity development initiatives which were undertaken by ZHRC in 2016 will in the long run strengthen the execution of its mandate. For instance; the study visit to the Namibia 46 Ombudsman provided principles which the Commission will adopt in strengthening its public protector role. Learning best practices from other NHRIs through platforms such as the UPR or the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, was an opportunity for the Commission to go back to the drawing board and self-assess in order to couch effective strategies that will improve the human rights situation in the country. Capacitating ZHRC staff with investigative techniques, legal drafting and monitoring detention tools arms them with the requisite knowledge and skills geared towards fully administering their day to day work. The work of the Commission has not been without challenges. The monitoring role of the Commission has been considerably hindered at times due to resource constraints. For example, ZHRC failed to rapidly respond to emergency human rights situations throughout the country as a result of inadequate funding for such programs. Moreover, a major impediment is the fact the ZHRC is not decentralised to all provinces therefore, in most instances it is not able to verify allegations of human rights violations reported in other parts of the country. The enforcement role of the Commission is also hampered in situations where Government fails to effectively implement the recommendations provided by the Commission during visits to institutions such as prisons and mental hospitals owing to economic hardships faced by the country. Moreover, maladministration allegation cases are not responded to the relevant parties. This in turn makes it difficult for the Commission to effectively handle certain cases to their logical conclusion. It is anticipated that continued engagement with relevant stakeholders will yield solutions to alleviate this plight. Protecting, Promoting and Enforcing Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms