“Section 17(1)(c) of the Act requires the ZHRC to obtain approval from the Minister responsible for 

Justice and Legal Affairs prior to receiving external funding. The SCA notes that the proposed amendments to its enabling law will remove the requirement to seek prior approval from the Minister of Finance.  

The SCA emphasises that NHRIs should not be required to obtain approval from the State for external sources of funding, which may otherwise detract from its independence. The SCA recommends that the ZHRC continues to advocate for the amendment of Section 17(1)(c) of the Act to be able to receive donor funding without prior government approval. 

The SCA refers to Paris Principle B.2 and to its General Observation 1.10 on ‘Adequate funding of 

NHRIs’.”