Suchergebnisse

A ZLRev. article on the need to train public officials on human rights issues in Zimbabwe. ; The role of human rights organizations has tended to be primarily reactive. Where human rights violations have occurred human rights organizations have responded by documenting and publicising the abuses, seeking redress for the victims and demanding that appropriate sanctions be taken against the perpetrators. Whilst these activities remain vitally important, especially in situations where there are widespread, deliberate violations of human rights, there are further possible roles for human rights organizations of a more proactive nature. One such role is in the field of human rights education. This could include disseminating information to the public about their rights, how to assert these rights and what remedies they have when their rights are infringed. It could also extend to involvement in the area of human rights training for public officials. By public officials we mean officials employed by the state. They include such officials as police officers and members of other law enforcement agencies such as intelligence agencies, prison officers, army officers, and public servants in various government offices carrying administrative duties. The reason why it is important to focus on public officials is the most serious abuses and of human rights of individuals and groups in our societies are perpetrated by such officials, especially by army personnel and members of law enforcement agencies. Human rights training for public officials could result in the reduction in the numbers of abuses of rights by such officials. In my presentation I will look at: • the relationship between human rights training programmes and the human rights environment in a country; • the importance of ensuring observance of human rights by public officials; • the objectives and content of human rights training programmes for various categories of public officials; • the likely impact of such programmes.

A ZLREv article on the need for a stronger human rights culture in Zimbabwe as well as the participatory role of lawyers. ; After consulting with the various security authorities, the Government decided in the middle of 1990 that in the light of the improved security situation, the state of emergency which had been continuously in effect since Independence (and which had been continuously in operation for some fifteen years before Independence) would not be renewed. The ending of the state of emergency meant that the rule of law was put back into full force. No person may now be detained without trial. All persons who are accused of any form of criminal activity, including subversive activity, must be brought before the criminal courts to answer to specific criminal charges and, if the courts decide that their guilt has not been proven, they must go free. No person may now be placed in preventive detention simply because the Central Intelligence Organisation or any other security agency believes that that person poses some sort of danger to State security or that they shouldn't have been acquitted by the courts. The ending of the state of emergency has rightly been applauded both inside and outside the country. (To its credit, the Law Society had issued a public statement exhorting the authorities to take this step). The new environment which has been created by the ending of the state of emergency is more congenial for the establishment of a strong human rights culture and lawyers should play a pivotal role in the building up of this culture.

A RLJ article on the passing of Acts of Parliament in Rhodesia following increasing political conflict with the black majority population.

A ZLRev article on remedies for loss of personal liberties in Zimbabwe. ; In all democratic societies individual people are afforded protection against unlawful interference with their personal liberty and freedom, and in Zimbabwe there are extensive safeguards against unlawful encroachment on personal liberty, as well as various remedies available in the event of unlawful intrusion upon liberty. However, since the attainment of Zimbabwe's hard-won Independence, there have been internal and external elements bent on undermining and subverting the new order. Government has had to take action to try to counteract, for instance, a sustained campaign of sabotage and destabilization orchestrated from Pretoria. The law enforcement agencies have been called on to take all necessary steps to prevent such activities from occurring and, when they have occurred, to detect and apprehend the culprits as expeditiously as possible. Such a security situation tends, inevitably to create an environment where 'individual rights are subordinated to the paramount concern for the protection of national security.