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Trust Freddy, Herald Correspondent
Chief Justice Luke Malaba has approved the setting up of a permanent magistrate court in Hwedza, with operations expected to commence within three months.
This follows a comprehensive report by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretary, Mr Walter Chikwana, after assessing the performance and challenges of all magistrates’ courts in Mashonaland East Province.
Hwedza has been operating with a circuit court, serviced by magistrates from Marondera, until the latest approval.
This came out yesterday, when Chief Justice Luke Malaba met JSC staff from Marondera, where he received a report from Mr Chikwana who had embarked on a week-long fact-finding mission, visiting every magistrate court in the province.
Mr Chikwana said the increased demand for judicial services in Hwedza had resulted in Marondera’s magistrates being overstretched.
“Hwedza has been operating with a circuit court for a long time, but now we have realised that the number of cases that we are receiving from Hwedza have gone up both criminal and civil cases.
“We then investigated and realised that the time has now come for us to establish this court as a resident magistrate court, as the Marondera court was being affected by deploying more magistrates to Hwedza, resulting in fewer magistrates in Marondera to handle local cases,” he said.
Mr Chikwana expressed optimism with the project saying all modalities had been put in place in terms of facilities and other things.
“So we have engaged with the public works, the district administrator. They have given us infrastructure facilities for us to set up the court.”
Online Reporter