Sachikonye, an associate professor of development studies at the University of Zimbabwe, told The Zimbabwean that civil society and other stakeholders needed to push for an organisation to keep an eye on the implementation of the constitution so that government would be more answerable to the people.
Kenya set up a similar watchdog in 2010, said Sachikonye.
“Civil organisations shouldn’t simply fold their arms once a new constitution has been put in place, since political parties and governments have a tendency to sideline NGOs at the final stages of important national processes,” he added.
Sachikonye urged CSOs not to pull out of constitution-making processes, but to be more strategic and proactive as a challenge to government tendencies towards becoming authoritarian and militaristic.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and Equality Commission is a watchdog that monitors government institutions and carries out investigations into alleged human rights violations. It also monitors the enactment of legislation in Kenya and recommends existing legislation for review to ensure it complies with human rights standards.
Post published in: News