adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
CHIEF Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe yesterday warned magistrates against accepting bribes, saying doing so tarnishes the image of the courts.In his address at the official opening of the Magistrates’ Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) annual general meeting in Victoria Falls, Guvamombe who is also a Judicial Service Commission (JSC) commissioner, said corruption was a cancer that should be eliminated.
“Corruption is intolerable and we’ll not raise our hands in exasperation in our fight against it. It’s a stubborn plague but we’re convinced we’re moving in the right direction towards transparency. Let me whisper a gentle warning to those of us who partake in these illicit and nicodemus dealings that only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet,” said the Chief Magistrate.
He said the effective delivery of justice requires transparency.
Guvamombe said the JSC was working on modalities to improve salaries and conditions of service for its officers.
He said regional magistrates would soon be given cars.
“For years regional magistrates have gone without decent vehicles and am pleased to announce that every regional magistrate is going to have either a Toyota Hilux or a Ford Ranger double cab. We’ve already allocated a good number to some and hopefully soon every regional magistrate would’ve been covered,” said Guvamombe.
He said the JSC was engaging treasury with a view to lifting the freeze on advancement of magistrates according to their grades.
Scores of magistrates across the country are attending the conference which started on Thursday and ends today.
Guvamombe said JSC was busy on the ground with a number of projects meant to improve justice delivery and working conditions for its officers.
“Your welfare is our concern at JSC. We seek to continue to improve working conditions of all members. The giant steps we’ve taken to address court and office accommodation countrywide proves this.
“We’ve built new court houses at various centres and by the end of 2015 every station would’ve been covered,” he said.
JSC is in the process of building courthouses countrywide.
In Beitbridge, Binga, Nkayi and Victoria Falls, work is set to begin before the end of the year while in Tsholotsho, Esigodini and other stations construction has been done.
On salaries, the chief magistrate appealed to the law officers to be patient.
“We’re in agreement that your salaries need to be improved and once economic hurdles are overcome there’ll be a significant windfall.
“Don’t be fooled that there’re greener pastures anywhere because the number of former magistrates in and outside the country who wish to be readmitted together with legal practitioners is alarming. Be patient and everything will fall in place,” he said adding that JSC was a better employer.
Guvamombe paid tribute to other players like police, prosecutors, Prisons and Correctional Services and the Law Society of Zimbabwe for helping in justice delivery which he said had taken a nosedive but was revived by the formation of JSC in 2010.
Meanwhile, the chief magistrate said the JSC was impressed that most stations have cleared case backlogs and encouraged magistrates to continue working hard.
MAZ president Kudakwashe Ignatius Mhene raised the need for an urgent review of salaries which he said were not comparable to their counterparts in the region.
“It’s no secret that in two years we reduced backlog from 49,000 to 2,000 and this has brought favour to us. The employer has pledged support for we’ve proven our worth and we’ll still campaign for upgrading and promotions and remuneration,” he said.
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