HARARE – Parliament will today interview candidates wishing to serve on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), a senior official announced at the weekend.

Zimbabweans hope establishment of the commission will help protect citizens’ rights and freedoms after a decade of worsening political violence and rights abuses as President Robert Mugabe’s pervious government resorted to more repressive methods to contain rising public discontent in the face of an economic and food crisis.

Parliament spokesman Edward Mbewe confirmed that interviews for the country’s first ever rights commission would be held today. "The standing rules and orders committee will conduct interviews for the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission on Monday morning," Edward Mbewe told ZimOnline.

Nine people will sit on the ZHRC as commissioners.

The ZHRC is part of several commissions to be formed by Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government as part of a raft of reforms meant to reshape and democratise Zimbabwe’s politics.

The other commissions provided for under Constitutional Amendment Number 19 that established the power-sharing government are the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), Independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (IZEC) and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

Once the commissions and a new constitution are in place the government will call fresh elections with the whole process that began in February expected to last between 18 to 24 months.

Rich Western nations have refused to back the Harare government or lift visa and financial sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his inner circle seven years ago, saying they were not happy with the slow pace of political reforms. 

By Zimonline