purpose of enforcing or securing the enforcement of the Declaration of Rights:
Provided that the Supreme Court may decline to exercise its powers under this subsection if it is satisfied
that adequate means of redress for the contravention alleged are or have been available to the person
concerned under other provisions of this Constitution or under any other law.
72. Articles 15 and 24 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provide for the prohibition of torture and the legal
procedure for enforcement mechanism against torture. The procedure is very clear. It establishes the
judicial body responsible for the enforcement of, as well as its powers, and the parameters of its
jurisdiction. In that respect, the African Commission had to look into the Zimbabwe Constitution to
determine whether or not the remedy was available. Indeed it finds that a remedy was available to the
Complainant in the form of the Supreme Court, but states that the remedy was not effective, under the
circumstances. The ineffectiveness of the Supreme Court to enforce its investigation orders against the
police in the Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto case leaves a lot to be desired for the top most judicial body
in Zimbabwe. Indeed that was a clear indicate for an impediment as well as ineffectiveness of the remedy.
73. The Jawara case stated the following; "...A remedy is considered available if the petitioner can pursue it
without impediment, it is deemed effective if it offers a prospect of success, and it is found sufficient if it is
capable of redressing the complaint." It states further that "...The Commission has stressed that, remedies
the availability of which is not evident, cannot be invoked by the State to the detriment of the complainant"
".....The existence of a remedy must be sufficiently certain, not in theory but also in practice. Failing which,
it will lack the requisite accessibility and effectiveness. Therefore, if the applicant cannot turn to the judiciary
of his country because of the generalised fear for his life (or even those of relatives) local remedies would
be considered to be unavailable."
74. What is stated in the above quotation is a clear indication that the remedy was not available, it would
not have redressed the complaint, and it did not inspire any prospect for success. Similarly, the
Complainant could not avail himself of the same remedy due to the principle of constructive exhaustion of
local remedies, by virtue of being outside the country, due to the fear for his life. The Complainant is the
only person entitled to decide who shall represent him, in the event that he wished to invoke the domestic
remedies, should they have been available. It is not for the state to determine the complainant's legal
representation by NGOs or any other counsel. The African Commission has adopted Guidelines on fair
trial, elaborating Article 7(c) of the Charter, which states that, "[e]very individual shall have the right to have
his cause heard. This comprises: the right to defence, including the right to be defended by a counsel of his
choice."
75. The African Commission therefore finds that even though in theory the domestic remedies were
available, they were not effective, and could not be pursued without much impediment. The two day
presence in Zimbabwe by the Complainant does not dispel the fear he was labouring under, since he was a
victim of torture, and thus the constructive exhaustion of remedies would still apply to him.
76. In the Rights International/Nigeria Case, the African Commission stated that; "...the Commission
interpreted the standard for constructive exhaustion of domestic remedies to be satisfied where there is no
adequate or effective remedy available to the individual. In this particular case, the Commission found that
Mr. Wiwa was unable to pursue any domestic remedy following his flight for fear of his life to the Republic
of Benin and then subsequent granting of refugee asylum in the United States of America."
77. Indeed what the African Commission is saying herein-above is that there can be particular
circumstances which justify the application of the constructive exhaustion of domestic remedies rule to an
individual, where it is established that the remedies are neither adequate, effective nor available. In this
particular case, in spite of the complainant's two day presence in Zimbabwe, and in view of the allegation of
torture, it is abundantly clear that bearing the experience by the said Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto, the
remedies available to the complainant are inadequate, ineffective, unavailable and would not be accessed
without a lot of impediments, including the possible incarceration of the complainant for the criminal
charges which in all fairness would have taken precedence over his personal claim against torture. Had he
remained in Zimbabwe, there was no guarantee that he would not have been arrested, nor would he be
subjected to the same treatment he had been subjected to the previous time, thus fleeing after the two days
brought him within the constructive exhaustion rule.
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