Since
gaining
independence
in
1980,
Zimbabwe
has
grappled
with
an
unaccountable
and
secretive
security sector tarnished
by
decades
of
human
rights
violations.
The
new
Zimbabwe
Independent
Complaints
Commission
(ZICC)
provides
a
valuable
opportunity
to
break
a
history
of
mistrust
and
antagonism
between
security
forces
and
civil
society.
Zimbabwe’s
government
has
traditionally
resisted
calls
for
security
sector
reform,
which
would
have
clashed
with
its
hardline
stance
against
opposition
political
activists
and
human
rights
defenders.
As
a
result,
the
army
and
police
have
– in
defence
of
the
ruling
party
– stifled
freedoms
of
speech,
assembly
and
political
participation
through
arbitrary
arrests,
detention
and
use
of
brute
force.
These
actions,
together
with
the
legacy
of
the
1983-87
Gukurahundi massacres and
continued
electoral violence since
2000,
have
deterred
civil
society
from
contributing
to
security
sector
governance.
Provisions
exist
in
law
to
rectify
the
situation,
but
progress
has
been
slow.
Section
210
of
Zimbabwe’s
2013
constitution
provides
for
an
independent
mechanism
to
receive
and
investigate
citizens’
complaints
against
misconduct
or
violations
caused
by
security
services
– including
the
police,
defence
forces,
intelligence
services,
and
prisons
and
correctional
services.
This
provision
was
however
only
activated
in
2022,
with
the
passing
of
the
Zimbabwe
Independent
Complaints
Commission
Act.
A
five-member commission was
sworn
in
two
years
later,
enabling
the
ZICC
to
start
operating.
The
commission
is
led
by
Justice
Webster
Nicholas
Chinamora,
with
other
members
drawn
from
the
legal,
medical
and
policing
professions.
The
ZICC
is
an
opportunity
to
break
a
history
of
mistrust
and
antagonism
between
security
forces
and
civil
society
Chinamora
is
ambitious
in
his
outlook
for
what
the
commission
can
achieve.
He told The
Herald in
January
that
he
wanted
to
‘guide
the
commission
in
achieving
security
sector
reform
through
fostering
a
partnership
between
the
public
and
the
security
sector.’
Effective
collaboration
between
civil
society
organisations
(CSOs)
and
security
institutions
is
vital
to
achieve
this
goal.
But
already,
the
commission’s
independence
is
being
questioned
because
Chinamora
and
another
commissioner,
Oliver
Mandipaka,
have
strong links with
the
ruling party,
the
Zimbabwe
African
National
Union
–
Patriotic
Front (ZANU–PF).
Those
links
could
influence
how
they
dispense
their
duties,
which
would
erode
public
trust.
Chinamora
has
a
tainted past in
the
justice
system
and
is
perceived
as
too
close
to
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
Mandipaka
is
a
former
Member
of
Parliament
elected
under
the
ZANU–PF
ticket.
As
the
ZICC
begins
operating
publicly,
it
must
proactively
work
on
building
relations
with
CSOs
across
the
country
to
gain
public
trust
and
boost
its
impact.
This
could
be
achieved
through
joint
public
awareness-raising
activities
based
on
the
ZICC’s
mandate
to
enhance
citizens’
access
to
and
use
of
its
services.
Opportunities
must
be
created
for
dialogue
between
civil
society
and
the
security
sector
to
share
mutual
concerns
and
approaches
for
oversight
of
security
provision
and
management.
CSOs
can
help
the
ZICC
prevent
misconduct
and
harm
by
security
force
members
by
helping
to
train
police
and
soldiers
on
human
rights
and
security
sector
accountability
and
transparency.
Security
institutions
prioritise
national
security
over
human
security,
and
avoid
engaging
with
CSOs
The
ZICC
could
draw
lessons
from
Kenya’s
Independent
Policing
Oversight
Authority
and
South
Africa’s
Independent
Police
Investigative
Directorate,
which
have
conducted
joint
awareness
programmes
and
policy
consultations
with
CSOs.
It
could
also
consider
the
African
Union
Policy
Framework
on
Security
Sector
Reform,
which
provides
a guide on
how
CSOs
can
engage
in
security
sector
governance.
The
policy
identifies
awareness
raising,
research
and
analysis,
policy
development
and
evaluation,
and
fostering
dialogue
and
gender
equality
as
ways
to
promote
people-centred
security
and
inclusive
security
governance.
These
roles
for
civil
society
clearly
align
with
the
ZICC’s
mandate.
Despite
the
existence
of
laws,
lessons
and
guidance
on
the
issue,
building
productive
relations
with
civil
society
in
Zimbabwe
won’t
be
easy.
At
present,
security
institutions
prioritise
national
security
over
human
security,
and
avoid
engaging
with
CSOs.
Security
forces
view
civil
society’s
demand
for
accountability
and
better
governance
as
a
threat
to
the
ruling
regime
and
national
security.
CSOs
also
mistrust
direct
engagement
with
security
institutions,
fearing
they
might
antagonise
them
through
public
media
advocacy.
As
an
oversight
body,
the
ZICC
could
help
prevent
this
mistrust
by
creating
platforms
for
ongoing
dialogue.
As
ZICC
begins
operating
publicly,
it
must
proactively
work
on
building
relations
with
CSOs
However,
three
major
issues
will
make
collaboration
on
security
sector
governance
difficult.
First,
the
ZICC’s
primary
functions
are
limited
to
reactive,
remedial
actions
–
investigating
complaints
of
misconduct,
inspecting
detention
facilities
and
recommending
remedial
actions
against
misconduct.
Expanding
the
commission’s
mandate
to
include
proactive,
preventive
responsibilities
would
require
amending
the
ZICC
Act.
That
is
unlikely,
considering
that
the
government
is
already
suppressing
its
work,
as
evidenced
by
delays
in
getting
the
commission
operational.
Second,
the
Private
Voluntary
Organisations
Amendment
Bill
will inhibit civil
society’s
ability
to
function.
If
enacted
into
law,
the
bill
will
restrict
CSOs’
access
to
communities
and
funding
options
and
introduce
strict
registration
and
reporting
requirements,
especially
for
those
working
on
human
rights
advocacy,
peace
and
democracy
building.
Third,
the
ZICC
will
likely
be
under-resourced,
as
happened
with
the
National
Peace
and
Reconciliation
Commission
and
Zimbabwe
Human
Rights
Commission,
tasked
with
investigating
human
rights
violations
including
by
security
forces.
Under
the
provisional
2025 budget allocation,
the
ZICC
received
only
ZiG80
476
000
(US$3
041
869)
–
way
too
little
for
its
mandated
work
at
this
formative
phase.
The
ZICC
was
established
to
protect
citizens
from
security
services
violations
and
harm
by
fostering
transparency
and
accountability.
Doing
so
would
help
transform
Zimbabwe’s
security
sector
governance,
but
whether
the
ZICC
can
achieve
more
than
its
limited
reactive
mandate
seems
doubtful.
Collaborating
with
civil
society
would
set
it
in
the
right
direction.
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