37 6. ZLHR: Beyond Zimbabwe’s Borders The organisation’s Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Access to Justice programmes spearheaded ZLHR’s strategic partner engagement, advocacy and litigation at sub-regional, continental and global platforms throughout 2014. Consequently, ZLHR was able to engage with representatives of key quasi-governmental institutions at the sub-regional, continental and international level in attempts to influence legal proceedings, foreign policy and policy engagement to improve the rights and governance conditions in Zimbabwe and the SADC region. Thematic human rights issues affect many countries in the Southern Africa region, and the continent at large. It is for this reason that ZLHR extends its programming and efforts beyond national borders, as collective pressure builds and considerably expands the voice of African non-state actors in their attempts to influence changes in attitudes and practices by African governments. Some of these institutions and stakeholders targeted by ZLHR included the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Union, the Southern Africa 6.1 Litigation ZLHR continues to spearhead the use of continental legal mechanisms in efforts to obtain redress for survivors of violations to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, who have failed or been unable to obtain remedies through the national courts. The organisation currently has several active cases at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. These include: yy A challenge to the legality of the Zimbabwe government’s Operation Murambatsvina of 2005, where thousands of innocent people were subjected to arbitrary eviction, destruction of their homes and property, bodily harm and loss of life, as well as disruption of education, health and sanitation services. yy Attempts to enforce the rights of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to exercise their fundamental right to be involved in the governance of their country, particularly through the right to vote in national elections. yy A challenge, on behalf of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), against the conduct of the police in dealing with demonstrations and seeking to enforce the protection of their organisational members rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. yy A communication seeking to have the government investigate extra judicial killings, torture, rapes, destruction of property and other violations of rights of affected people lawfully residing on select farms belong to opposition political party members during the land reform programme. ZLHR Annual Report 2014 99 ZLHR participated at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council 99 The organisation pursued several communications at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights after domestic legal remedies failed 99 Legal expertise was contributed in strategic interventions by Zimbabwean and regional civil society at SADC and AU Summits 99 ZLHR was actively involved in advocacy and legal initiatives with the SADC Lawyers’ Association, the African Court Coalition and the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders’ Network, amongst others 99 Strategic interventions were undertaken on behalf of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, which ZLHR coordinates Development Community (SADC), and the United Nations Human Rights Council. Strategic partners in such civic efforts include the SADC Council of NGOs, the SADC Lawyers’ Association, the African Court Coalition, the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network and other sub-regional networks. ZLHR was selected to coordinate the strategic interventions of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network due to its pioneering work at the national level.