The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission says they have over 500 complaints coming from the public which they are struggling to deal with because of human and financial resource constraints.
“We have a file of more than 500 cases with a staff of in terms of officers who are actually doing investigations only 18 and of those 18 they are not all in complaints investigation,” Dr Ellen Sithole told delegates commemorating the International Human Rights day recently at an event which was organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights held under the theme “Is Zimbabwe following its own constitution” in Harare.
The ZHRC continues to experience an exodus of commissioners who are leaving the body for greener pastures because of poor conditions of service.
Recently the body announced that it was operating with 36 officers out of the initial and required 120 members.
Dr Sithole said they are being overwhelmed by the complaints they receiving adding that they have resorted to neglect some of their obligations.
“We will be monitoring prisons and other places of detention we have also the education and promotion mandate,” she said.
“We are also geographically limited as we are only in Harare and Bulawayo so  for someone coming from way back and beyond will have a challenge  first of all to know about us and then to come to Harare to lodge a complaint.”
Despite being understaffed and underfunded the Elasto Mugwadi led ZHRC   this year investigated a number of human rights violations and presented their findings to government.
Notable cases they brought before Parliament and the Zimbabwe Republic Police for further action include, the Chingwizi flood victims displacements, the Missing Itai Dzamara case, and the Hurungwe West house of assembly by-elections political violence.