Chapter 10:30
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Act
No. 2/2012
(4) A Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission shall, before entering
upon his or her office, take and subscribe before the President or some person authorised
by the President in that behalf the oath of office in the forms set out in Schedule 1.
(5) The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission shall have the following functions—
(a) to promote awareness of and respect for human rights and freedoms at all levels
of society;
(b) to promote the development of human rights and freedoms;
(c) to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in Zimbabwe;
(d) to recommend to Parliament effective measures to promote human rights and
freedoms;
(e) to investigate the conduct of any authority or person, where it is alleged that any
of the rights in the Declaration of Rights has been violated by that authority or
person; and
(f) to assist the Minister responsible for the Act of Parliament referred to in
subsection (8) to prepare any report required to be submitted to any regional or
international body constituted or appointed for the purpose of receiving such
reports under any human rights convention, treaty or agreement to which
Zimbabwe is a party.
(6) The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission may require any person, body, organ,
agency or institution whether belonging to or employed by the State, a local authority or
otherwise, to provide the Commission annually with such information as it may need for
the purpose of preparing and submitting any report required to be submitted to any
regional or international body constituted or appointed for the purpose of receiving such
reports under any human rights convention, treaty or agreement to which Zimbabwe is a
party.
(7) The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission shall have power—
(a) to take over and continue any investigation that has been instituted by the Public
Protector in terms of section 108(1), where it determines that the dominant
question in issue involves a matter pertinent to its function referred to in
subsection (5)(e); or
(b) refer to the Public Protector for investigation in terms of section 108(1) any
matter in respect of which it determines that the dominant question in issue
involves a matter pertinent to the functions of the Public Protector.
(8) An Act of Parliament may confer power on the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission—
(a) to conduct investigations on its own initiative or on receipt of complaints;
(b) to visit and inspect prisons, places of detention, refugee camps and related
facilities in order to ascertain the conditions under which inmates are kept there,
and to make recommendations regarding those conditions to the Minister
responsible for administering the law relating to those places or facilities;
(c) to visit and inspect places where mentally disordered or intellectually
handicapped persons are detained under any law in order to ascertain the
conditions under which those persons are kept there, and to make
recommendations regarding those conditions to the Minister responsible for
administering the law relating to those places; and
(a) to secure and provide appropriate redress for violations of human rights and for
injustice.
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