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Daniel Nemukuyu, Senior Court Reporter
GOVERNMENT has given the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) green light to recruit 233 employees in a bid to oil the wheels of justice and to restore the functionality of the courts.
JSC had been hit hard by a critical shortage of staff that resulted in the closure of at least 20 courtrooms countrywide.
The unfreezing of posts will see the recruitment of 70 magistrates, 37 court interpreters, 15 clerks of court, 51 assistant registrars, 30 judges’ clerks and 30 drivers between July and November this year.
Officially opening the country’s fourth permanent High Court in Mutare last month, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga expressed concern over the acute shortage of judicial officers and support staff before assuring JSC and the nation at large that the problem was now coming to an end.
True to VP Chiwenga’s word, Treasury this week approved the recruitment of the staff in the Judiciary.
JSC acting secretary Mr Walter Chikwana confirmed the development, saying it will go a long way in ensuring efficiency at the courts.
Mr Chikwana hailed Government for the good gesture.
“We have been allowed to recruit 233 staff members, 70 of them being magistrates,” he said. “We are quite grateful for the gesture that will restore functionality of the courts.”
JSC said recruitment will start on July 1 with 10 regional magistrates, 50 magistrates of other grades plus 27 court interpreters.
With effect from September 1, JSC will recruit 10 court interpreters, 20 assistant registrars, 10 drivers, 10 judges’ clerks and the last batch of 10 magistrates.
In November, the Commission will recruit 15 clerks of court, 31 assistant registrars, 20 judge’s clerks and 10 drivers.
The vacancies will be advertised and interviews will be held to select the best candidates for the 233 posts.
Chief Justice Malaba is on record bemoaning the crisis, indicating that he had engaged relevant authorities over the issue.
The shortage, according to JSC, was posing a serious threat to the justice delivery system amid reports that 20 courts had been closed.
At Harare Magistrates’ Court alone, four courts were now redundant due to shortage of magistrates, while in Mutare, one was closed.
Fourteen others were locked up at various stations countrywide, a development that increased the workload on the few available magistrates.
Chief Justice Malaba, who is also chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission, said Zimbabweans had become too litigious and unfreezing of the posts will go a long way in improving efficiency of the courts.
Recently, Government set up Anti-Corruption Courts in Bulawayo and Harare with a view to fight graft and the development requires more magistrates and support staff. The specialised anti-graft courts, will be decentralised to all the country’s 10 provinces.
JSC also requires more staff considering that all court stations are now handling commercial disputes, in line with Government’s thrust of improving ease of doing business.
Out of a total establishment of 250, only 191 magistrates are in posts, creating 59 vacancies in the department.
Online Reporter