NEW: VP Chiwenga calls for transparency, fairness and accountability

Mukudzei Chingwere in Victoria Falls

Transparency, fairness and accountability in the operations of the three arms of State – the judiciary, legislature and the executive – are of uppermost importance for Africa to achieve its economic potential and human rights objectives.

The summation was made by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga when he officially opened the seventh congress of the Conference of African Constitutional Courts (CJCA) in Victoria Falls today, which began on Wednesday and will run up to Saturday.

The legal fraternity stakeholders from across the African continent are converging in the resort town for the CJCA congress running under the theme, “Human Dignity as a Founding Value and Principle: A Source of Constitutional Interpretation, Protection and Enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights.”

“We recognise that the economic successes of our nations are instrumental in the full realisation of the enjoyment of human rights and in preserving the dignity of our citizenry,” said VP Chiwenga.

“The three arms of the State, that is the judiciary, legislature, and executive across Africa, should act as we ought to do, in a transparent, fair and accountable manner.

“This should be underpinned by integrity to give full meaning to the implementation of human rights and dignity, in accordance with our respective national Constitutions.” The congress is also being attended by non-African sister countries like Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Albania and Austria, who are part of this gathering as observers.