21 October 2025 | Harare, Zimbabwe – The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) joins the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), government representatives, development partners, academia, the media, and the private sector in commemorating the 2025 Africa Human Rights Day (AHRD).
NANGO extends its appreciation to the ZHRC for providing this important platform to reflect on and celebrate human rights progress across the continent.
As the umbrella and coordinating body of CSOs in Zimbabwe, NANGO stands in solidarity with the ZHRC and all stakeholders in advancing the principles enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Adopted in 1986 by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Charter—often referred to as Africa’s Bill of Rights—outlines the fundamental freedoms and responsibilities that all African states must protect, promote, and uphold.
This year’s theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” highlights the need to acknowledge historical injustices and take meaningful action toward redress. Justice and reparations are not abstract aspirations—they are essential steps toward dignity, healing, and transformation.
Human rights in Africa are not a peripheral issue; they are transformative, shaping the trajectory of nations and rooted in Africa’s shared identity, cultures, and values. Upholding human rights fosters security, equality, and dignity, enabling individuals and communities to thrive, participate meaningfully, and contribute to sustainable development.
As we commemorate Africa Human Rights Day in Zimbabwe, NANGO urges all stakeholders to remember those whose rights remain unrealised—the vulnerable, the marginalised, and the voiceless. This commemoration is a call to action: to raise awareness, strengthen solidarity, and build partnerships across society. Government institutions, civil society, the private sector, and communities must work collectively to accelerate progress and ensure that no one is left behind.
NANGO reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights. The organisation will continue to:
For over a decade, the ZHRC has worked tirelessly to promote, protect, and enforce human rights and administrative justice in Zimbabwe. Through its constitutional mandate, the Commission continues to safeguard the public from abuse of power, investigate violations, monitor conditions in detention facilities, and make recommendations for redress. It also promotes education, advocacy, and research on human rights, supports special interest groups, and monitors elections in line with its constitutional functions.
As NANGO, we stand in solidarity with this noble cause. We believe in equity, justice, inclusion, and accountability—that the full realisation of human rights must move beyond rhetoric and result in tangible, measurable change in our communities, institutions, and everyday lives.
On behalf of the entire civil society fraternity, NANGO reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe and all Africans in the pursuit of justice, equality, and human dignity. Together, let us transform human rights from aspiration into lived reality, and continue to build a Zimbabwe and an Africa where no one is left behind.