Ivan Zhakata in BEITBRIDGE
THE Government is expanding legal aid services to the district level and recruiting more lawyers to improve access to justice for vulnerable citizens who cannot afford legal representation.
Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Advocate Norbert Mazungunye said this during a legal awareness campaign at Dulibadzimu Stadium in Beitbridge yesterday, where he urged citizens to utilise the Legal Aid Directorate’s services.
He said the Government was decentralising legal services in line with the devolution agenda and its commitment to ensuring equal protection under the law.
“Whether you are indigent, regardless of these circumstances, you have to be protected. You deserve equal protection from the law. And that is the message that we bring today,” he said.
Adv Mazungunye said access to justice should not depend on one’s financial circumstances, adding that the Constitution obligates the State to assist citizens who cannot afford legal representation.
“Justice must never be a privilege of the reserved few or for those who can afford expensive legal representation. It must therefore be accessible to everyone, and particularly the vulnerable and the disadvantaged,” he said.
Adv Mazungunye cited Sections 31, 51 and 56 of the Constitution, which provide for State assistance in accessing legal representation within its means, protection of human dignity and equality before the law.
The Legal Aid Directorate assists in matters including divorce, maintenance, child custody, deceased estates, labour disputes, evictions and criminal cases.
Adv Mazungunye said the directorate now has offices in all 10 provinces and has extended its services to districts such as Chiredzi, Chipinge, Chivhu, Lupane, Binga and Beitbridge.
“We will open more offices, recruit more lawyers, and bring more clinics like this one to other communities,” he said.
He urged the directorate to sustain awareness campaigns through radio, community engagements and traditional leaders and said citizens needed to know where to seek legal assistance.
The director of Finance, Administration and Human Resources in the Finance, Administration and Human Resources Director in the Office of the Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Edward Mandeya, said the establishment of the Beitbridge Legal Aid Directorate office was an important milestone in improving access to justice.
He said the initiative demonstrated Government’s commitment to translating the constitutional right to access justice into reality, particularly for poor, disadvantaged and vulnerable members of society.
“A society cannot achieve meaningful and inclusive development when some of its citizens are unable to assert their rights, seek legal redress, or obtain protection under the law simply because they lack the financial resources to secure legal representation,” he said.
Mr Mandeya said access to justice was not only essential for protecting human rights but also contributed to good governance, social stability and sustainable development.
He said the decentralisation of legal aid services would address geographical, financial and information barriers that had previously prevented some citizens from accessing justice.
“Whether in urban centres, growth points, or remote rural communities, every citizen should have a fair opportunity to access legal assistance and enjoy the protection of the law,” he said.
Mr Mandeya urged traditional leaders and local leadership structures to help disseminate information about legal aid services and refer deserving individuals who require assistance.
He also called on the Legal Aid Directorate to establish strong partnerships with communities and ensure that its offices provided professional, responsive and accessible services.
“The effectiveness of this programme should ultimately be measured by the extent to which it improves access to legal assistance, reduces barriers to justice, and positively transforms the lives of ordinary citizens,” he said.
Mr Mandeya said the initiative was in line with the National Development Strategy 2 (2026-2030), which seeks to strengthen public institutions and improve service delivery as Zimbabwe pursues its Vision 2030 aspirations.
