Zambia: Promotion Mission, 2008- To promote the African Charter, exchange views and share experiences with major human rights stakeholders in the country on how to enhance the enjoyment on human rights in the country;
- To make a follow-up on the recommendations made to the Republic of Zambia in the Report of the Promotion Mission undertaken to the country from 9 – 13 September 2002;
- To raise awareness of and visibility of the African Commission and among the relevant government departments and institutions, as well as among civil society organisations;
- To encourage closer collaboration between the African Commission and the State on the one hand, and between the African Commission and civil society organisations on the other.
Recommendations
- The Police Act (1999) should be amended to allow the PPCA to make recommendations directly to the PPC and for the latter to act on the recommendations;
- The members of the PPCA and other constitutional and other independent bodies should be appointed through an open, transparent and more competitive parliamentary process (preferably through a public nomination). They should have security of tenure to guarantee their independence.
- The financial and human resources capacity of independent bodies such as the PPCA and the Electoral Commission should be greatly improved;
- Civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders should cooperate with the PPCA to ensure the effective discharge of its mandate;
- The police and the PPCA should work closely to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights;
- The procedure for appointment of judges should be open and transparent and the body responsible for the selection and appointment of judges should include some judges;
- The immigration authorities should treat migrants with dignity during the course of deportation;
- The death penalty should be abolished;
- The government should take urgent steps to adopt the draft Bill on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information;
- Urges government to transform state-owned broadcasters into public broadcasters in a bid to give greater access to members of the public;
- Call on the law enforcement agencies, in particular, the police, the judiciary and the prison service to work closely to deal with the serious problem of overcrowding in prisons;
- To consider adopting non-custodial punishments such as community services and fines especially for minor crimes and petty offences;
- The government should consider including socio-economic rights as justiciable rights in the Constitution being reviewed;
- The government should abolish and take steps to discourage customary practices that discriminate against women such as property grabbing and the inheritance of women;
- Labour laws should be adopted where they do not exist and implemented where they exist, to deal with discrimination of HIV/AIDS patients in the workplace as well as poor labour practices;
- The Legal Aid system should be made more effective to be beneficial to indigenes;
- The government should expedite payment of damages made by the Courts;
- The University of Zambia should examine the role it can play in the promotion and protection of human rights in the country; and
- The government should investigate allegations of deaths and rapes in police custody.
