adminFrom George Maponga in Masvingo
THE newly opened High Court in Masvingo will be manned by two resident judges in a development that is expected to drastically reduce the runaway backlog of cases while improving the justice delivery system in the province and beyond.
The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) upgraded the Masvingo Civil Court into a permanent High Court station that will cater for Masvingo province and parts of Manicaland, Matabeleland South and Manicaland provinces.
The new High Court was officially opened on Monday by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is also the overseer of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs .
Masvingo’s new High Court was the first to be opened in post-independent Zimbabwe with the last one having been opened by colonial settlers in Bulawayo in 1894.
Harare and Bulawayo are the only other cities that house the High Court in this country.
JSC secretary Justice Rita Makarau yesterday revealed that the High Court in Masvingo would be manned by two resident judges.
“There are two judges chambers at the new High Court in Masvingo which means that there will be two judges who will be permanently stationed there,’’ she said.
“The issue of when they are expected to start work will be handled by the JP (Judge President) Justice George Chiweshe. At the moment, we are still looking for accommodation for the two judges,’’ she added.
Justice Makarau also said the identity of the two judges would be determined by Justice Chiweshe.
Currently, the new High Court is hearing cases under the circuit court that will run for the next two weeks with Justice Joseph Musakwa presiding.
New resident judges are expected to take over at the end of the circuit court provided their accommodation has been secured.
The opening of a High Court station was hailed as a landmark development in the ongoing thrust to bring justice closer to the people.
Speaking at the opening of the court, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said people from remote areas were abandoning their cases because of the challenges in accessing High Court services in Harare and Bulawayo.
He said the opening of the new High Court station in Masvingo would reduce the costs of travelling for litigants from remote areas.
Chief Justice Chidyausiku said the JSC would open the next High Court station in either Gweru or Mutare and lamented the shortage of buildings to house the new superior courts as a major drawback.
Online Reporter