In this edition, Communications Specialist, Tapiwa Zivira interviews Dzikamai Bere, National Director at the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association.
During the interview, Bere highlighted the importance of the expanded Bill of Rights for their organization, as it includes all generations of human rights, including social, economic, environmental, and cultural rights. He also emphasized the need to defend the Constitution against threats, as politicians may try to tear it apart. Bere mentioned the Hands Off the People’s Constitution campaign that was launched in 2021 as a way to organize and protect the Constitution.
Bere also discussed the principle of separation of powers and the importance of checks and balances in the three arms of government: legislature, executive, and judiciary. He stressed the need for these arms to be independent of each other to prevent abuse of power. Additionally, Bere highlighted the sovereignty of the people of Zimbabwe, which is established in the preamble of the constitution and linked to the supremacy of the document.
An interesting point raised by Bere was the reminder of the sovereignty of the people in the establishment of each arm of government. For example, in section 8.8.1 of the constitution, it states that executive authority derives from the people of Zimbabwe. This serves as a reminder that the power ultimately resides in the hands of the people.
Bere also spoke about the importance of the Bill of Rights in the electoral process, stating that elections should not just be about positions, but also delivering on the obligations set out in the constitution. To emphasize this, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association launched the People’s Human Rights Manifesto in April 2023, outlining ten key asks based on the Bill of Rights. This event was attended by five major political parties in Zimbabwe.
The post #ConstitutionAt11 Series: Sovereignty & Supremacy: Zim’s Constitutional Framework | Dzikamai Bere appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.