President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission Act providing for the investigation and prosecution of members of security services for misconduct.
This follows complaints of human rights abuses and reports of alleged partisan conduct by members of the security forces in the discharge of their duties.
According to the latest Government Gazette, the Act provides for disciplinary proceedings and appropriate remedies in respect of any harm caused by any misconduct by members of the security services, according to The Standard.
The Act aims to enhance accountability and transparency by the security services and their members in accordance with the principles of the Constitution.
Reads the Act as outlined in the Government Gazette published on Friday:
Subject to this Act, the functions of the Commission are —
(a) to investigate any complaint made by any person or on his or her behalf against any misconduct on the part of a member of a security service in the discharge or purported discharge of the member’s functions;
(b) to investigate any contraventions of, or practices which do not comply with, sections 206(2) and (3) and 208 of the Constitution; Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission 114 No. 5/2022 Cap. 10:34.
The Act gives effect to Section 210 of the constitution which provides for an independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from members of the public.
In terms of the procedure of reporting complaints, any person who is aggrieved by any act of misconduct by a member of the security service may make a written complaint to the Commission requesting it to investigate the act complained of.
The Commission, however, shall not investigate any complaint unless the complaint is submitted to it within three years from the date the act complained of occurred.