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George Maponga in Masvingo
CONSTITUTIONAL Court Judge Justice Rita Makarau has paid glowing tribute to the two judges at the Masvingo High Court for completing a record of nearly 2100 cases last year which equates to a case clearance rate of 99 percent.
Speaking while officially opening the 2023 Masvingo High Court Legal Year today, Justice Makarau praised Justices Garainesu Mawadze and Sunsleey Zisengwe for a sterling job that answers to the need to timeously deliver justice to the people.
Ordinarily, the Masvingo High Court should be manned by three judges and Justice Makarau said notwithstanding the deficit the two sitting judges had set very high standards by clearing 2094 cases last year out of 2117 that were filed. Out of this total of filed cases last year, 58 had been carried forward from the previous year.
Justices Mawadze and Zisengwe continue to earn acclaim every year for a high turnaround of cases at the Masvingo High Court which is good for the justice delivery system in Masvingo.
“The High Court (Masvingo) performed well in spite of the fact that it was manned by only two instead of the usual three judges,” said Justice Makarau.
“A total of 2059 cases were filed with the Court during the course of the year. 58 cases were brought forward from 2021, making the grand total for the year 2 117 cases. Out of these,2094 cases were completed leaving only 23 cases that will be carried forward into 2023. The case clearance rate was a sterling 99 percent.”
Justice Makarau said the Masvingo community was elated by the sterling work of the two judges which managed to suppress the menace of cases backlog.
Masvingo High Court judges had set the bar higher for fellow bench members countrywide.
She expressed optimism that despite the sterling performance by Justices Mawadze and Zisengwe, Chief Justice Luke Malaba and the Judicial Services Commission would swiftly move to assign a third judge at Masvingo High Court.
Performance of the Masvingo magistrates courts had been equally impressive with 7 795 cases, out of the 7 799 criminal cases that were received, being completed.
The situation was the same in the civil division where 5 572 cases were completed in 2022 leaving a balance of only 71 cases.
Senior Government officials, senior police and prison officers, lawyers and traditional leaders led by Zimbabwe chiefs council president Chief Fortune Charumbira, JSC Secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha attended the opening ceremony. Justice Makarau then met Masvingo’s lawyers and addressed them on the second phase of the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) as the Labour and Administrative Courts gear to go paperless beginning February 1 this year.
Online Reporter