Makarau decries poor remuneration of staff

continued resilience.
Speaking during a meeting with journalists at the Rotten Row Magistrates’ Courts in which they sought to hear feedback from members of the public on the operations of the judiciary, she confirmed that morale was low among staff.
Justice Makarau is also the acting secretary of the Judicial Services Commission.
“We have spoken to staff. The morale is low but the spirit to continue working is there. Zimbabwe should be grateful that it has staff that is prepared to carry on under harsh circumstances,” she said.
Justice Makarau said the court workers were not getting salaries but wages. The judge who was flanked by acting chief magistrate Mrs Hlekani Mwayera and Harare provincial magistrate Mr Mishrod Guvamombe also spoke of their visit to Harare Magistrate and Civil Court, Mbare Court and Chitungwiza.
“We were touring courts in the Harare Province looking at the existing infrastructure and talking to staff to see how they are coping with their unacceptably low conditions of services. We also spoke to the police who are also part of the court staff,” she said.
She said they found it prudent to meet members of the media who represent the public. Justice Makarau said it was imperative for the media to educate members of the public on how the judiciary system works to avoid confusion.
Commenting on the demonstrations against a marriage officer who allegedly brutally attacked his wife, Justice Makarau said members of the public ought to know that the courts were not responsible for arresting perpetrators but the police. She also ruled out police interference in the justice delivery system saying such claims were made by people who had other agendas.
“Bail is not meant to be a punishment for an offence that has not been proved. A person is considered innocent until proven otherwise,” she said.
Justice Makarau said bail was an exercise of balancing the interest of justice and that of an individual person.