Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission broke

its independence is being compromised because of the failure by Finance Minister Tendai Biti to provide funds to carry out its mandate.

The commission’s chairperson Mr Jacob Mudenda said last Thursday that they did not have proper offices, vehicles and staff.

Mr Mudenda was speaking while giving oral evidence on the commission’s operations before a parliamentary thematic committee on Human Rights chaired by Zaka Senator Misheck Marava (MDC-T).

He said adequate provision of funds would enable the commission to discharge its duties consistent with the constitution and the enabling Act.

“We use our own vehicles or public transport, something that is not right for this highly esteemed institution,” he said.

“There is also a need to make some amendments to the Act to allow the commission to be more independent of Government as it investigates alleged violation of human rights.

“The commission has to be solely accountable for its finances as a corporate body.”

Mr Mudenda said an architectural firm was recently commissioned to design drawings for the refurbishment of the commission’s offices along Samora Machel Avenue.

“They did a costing amounting to US$1,5 million, which we have submitted to Treasury through the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs,” he said.

Mr Mudenda said they were only working on ‘faith’ that they would be provided with the funds.

He said they had secured 500 000 euros from the Danish Institute of Human Rights that they would use to produce fliers raising human rights awareness to be distributed around the country.

The Norwegian Embassy, said Mr Mudenda, promised to supply vehicles.

Senators expressed shock at the level of underfunding for the commission.

Sen Marava said they had expected the commission to be visible ahead of polls constitutionally due by June 29, 2013.

“The nation is expecting a lot from you, especially now as we go towards elections,” he said. “You should be at the village level, now you are telling us that you are covering only two regions.”

Chivi Senator Josiah Hungwe (Zanu-PF) said from what the commission revealed, there appeared to be no solution in sight.

“The commission is disabled,” he said. “It is a commission on paper.

“That takes away its independence completely.

“There is no basis to call it a commission at all.”