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The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has reportedly received 2,200 complaints of human rights violations and abuses in 2024, with 1,700 cases (77 percent) involving State Actors, mainly law enforcement agencies.
HRC Board Chairperson, Dr. Pamela Sambo, disclosed during a media briefing at Grand Palace Hotel in Lusaka on Friday that the majority of complaints against State Actors involved over-detention, prolonged pre-trial detention, and maladministration of justice.
The remaining 500 complaints (23 percent) were lodged against Non-State Actors, primarily private sector employers, with most cases relating to labor and employment rights.
Sambo stated that the Commission successfully investigated and resolved 1,300 complaints in 2024, representing 59 percent of the total cases received.
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“Cases are closed or resolved if they are inadmissible due to lack of jurisdiction—for instance, if the matter is in court, time-barred, lacks sufficient evidence, or is referred to another institution,” she explained.
Out of the total complaints, 160 cases were referred to relevant bodies such as the Police Public Complaints Commission and the Labour Commissioner, while 86 cases were not admitted or discontinued due to jurisdictional issues. A total of 654 cases (29 percent) remain under investigation.
Sambo noted that the Commission had set a higher target for 2024, aiming to investigate a minimum of 720 complaints compared to the 600 targeted in 2023, reflecting a 20 percent increase in efforts to enhance the resolution of human rights concerns.
Additionally, she confirmed that the Commission found no evidence of human rights violations in the case of former Patriotic Front (PF) Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri, who was detained in Kawambwa on charges of aggravated robbery.
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