Prevention of Torture ZLHR attended a meeting to explore possible collaboration with the Committee on the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA) in the development of a General Comment on Reparations. The African Commission’s Commissioner Mute also participated, and indicated his desire to make CPTA more pro-active and contribute to the establishment of long-term structures that could be applied in the future, rather than focusing only on ad-hoc issues such as promotional missions. Currently, work is underway to develop an initial draft paper on reparations in the African context. Governance, Rule of Law and Democracy ZLHR was one of the organisations from Africa invited to participate in the African civil society discussions to formulate recommendations for minimum goals and demands for greater democracy on the African Continent ahead of the US-Africa Summit in the United States of America in August 2014. Thematic discussions focused on issues such as the media, human rights, elections, challenges to the protection of civil society, good governance and accountability, conflict and security. ZLHR participated in the human rights panel. Some key recommendations made included the need to ensure the protection of social and economic rights and greater accountability for aid provided to governments. As the S ecretariat of SAHRDN …………… 39 Regional Advocacy Mission with Swaziland Lawyers for Human Rights – Mbabane, Swaziland ZLHR has, over the past decade, engaged with the Law Society of Swaziland and members of the Swaziland Lawyers for Human Rights with a view to strengthening the protection of human rights in both Zimbabwe and Swaziland, in particular, and in the broader Southern African region. As part of the continuing engagements, ZLHR dispatched a team of lawyers to Swaziland to engage with their counterparts in that country. The visit coincided with the arrest, detention and trial of prominent human rights lawyer, Thulani Maseko who has endured a history of persecution at the hands of the Swazi authorities as a result of his work on behalf of human rights defenders. ZLHR and Swaziland Lawyers for Human Rights hoped to identify and delineate common strategies to strengthen the capacity of human rights lawyers to advocate for and defend the enjoyment of human rights, provide solidarity and support, conduct a fact finding mission and observe the court proceedings against Thulani Maseko. ZLHR also held meetings with the Swaziland Law Society and a number of key action points were identified to assist in these endeavours. ZLHR communications officer Kumbirai Mafunda outside Swaziland High Court after the court proceedings for Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko and Bheki Makhubu ZLHR Annual Report 2014 meetings with special mechanisms, presentation of statements during the public sessions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and filing communications under the Commission’s protective mandate. Other than creating awareness to participants who had not interacted with ZLHR before, the discussion presented an opportunity for ZLHR to interact with some of the African Commissioners as well as representatives of other CSOs from around Africa.