Constitution of Zimbabwe: Chapter 4: Declaration of Rights

Every human has certain inalienable rights.

• This chapter lists all the rights a person is entitled to
• Everyone has certain rights they acquire from the time they are born
• The rights start with life itself which is the most important element of their worth
• Rights and freedoms are essential for one to have a meaningful life
• Human rights are our entitlements due to the fact that we are human
• Human rights are also enshrined in documents and instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR)
• Human rights listed in the constitution are legally binding and if violated, one can seek justice and recompense in the supreme court
• During the colonial period, there were no human rights and the colonial government tried by all means necessary to take away all the rights that’s why there were gross human rights abuses
• It is important to note that every right has limitations and the constitution had 12 rights and their limitation
• Limitations are put in place so that a person may not use their rights to infringe on those of others

To access more topics go to the History Notes page.