Justice Ndewere fired

Chief Court Reporter
President Mnangagwa has fired embattled High Court judge, Justice Erica Ndewere for gross incompetence following recommendations by a tribunal set up to inquire into her suitability to hold a judicial office.

Justice Ndewere was accused of gross misconduct in the performance of her duties, including failure to clear her workload in reasonable time and failure to properly study the file on a thief’s conviction and sentence when she set aside a jail term.

She denied the charges accusing Chief Justice Luke Malaba of pursuing her after she defied his unlawful orders.

A three-member tribunal led by retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako made recommendations for the judge’s removal from the esteemed bench after a fully contested tribunal hearing.

The Constitution provides that a judge may be removed from office for inability to perform the functions of his or her office, due to mental or physical incapacity, or gross incompetence, or gross misconduct.