adminDaniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
Government has approved the setting up of a circuit magistrates court at Mahuwe Shopping Centre in Mashonaland Central, a development that is set to bring justice to people of Mbire District.
The decision was made to improve access to justice as many people were finding it difficult to travel for over 250km from the remote parts of the district to Guruve Magistrates’ Court.
Statutory Instrument 69 of 2014 published last Friday indicated that Mahuwe was designated as a place for holding court sessions periodically.
“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, has in terms of Section 4 of the Magistrates Court Act (Chapter 7:10) made the following notice:
1. This may be cited as the Magistrates Court (Periodical Court) Mahuwe, Mbire District Notice 2014.
2. Mahuwe is hereby appointed as a place for holding a periodical court in Mbire District, Lower Guruve.” Chief magistrate Mr Mishrod Guvamombe said litigants were struggling to access justice and Mbire had been left out as the only district without a magistrates court in the country.
“Mbire district (formerly lower Guruve) had been left out as the only district that did not have a court,” he said. “Litigants would travel for close to 300 kilometres to Guruve Centre in an area that did not have efficient public transport. Some would set aside up to three days to attend a single court session in Guruve.
“Transport from Mbire usually get to Guruve Centre well after court time and the witnesses would sleep on the verandas at the centre preparing to attend court the second day.
“On the second day, they would give evidence and after court, the few buses will be gone hence they will sleep again on the verandahs and go back home the third day,” said Mr Guvamombe.
He said the Judicial Service Commission was launching the circuit court with the view of upgrading it to a stand-alone resident magistrates court.
Mr Guvamombe said the JSC was now in the process of rolling out the project.
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