Zambia | Public Protector appears before Parliamentary select Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights and Gender Matters

The Public Protector of the Republic Of Zambia, Ms Caroline C.Z Sokoni, appeared before a Parliamentary select Committee on Legal Affairs, Human Rights, National Guidance, Gender Matters and Governance on 31 January 2018, to review the operations and progress the Office made since its transformation from an Executive to a Parliamentary Ombudsman.

This follows the assent to the amended Constitution on 5 January 2016, by the President of the Republic of Zambia, his Excellence Mr Edgar C Lungu. Prior to this the Ombudsman of Zambia used to report to the President on matters affecting its operations.

Among the issues discussed during the meeting were:

• To find ways of ensuring that the Ombudsman’s services were decentralised to the ten Provinces of Zambia.
  
  
• Matters relating to the protection of Whistle-blowers as well as the protection of vulnerable persons in society. The Public Protector assured the Committee that her Office was doing its best to ensure that Whistle-blowers and the vulnerable persons are protected.
  
  
• Operational matters of the Office of the Public Protector.

Source: Office of the Public Protector, Zambia