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Herald Reporter
THE Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) that digitised all superior courts in the country has revolutionised the justice delivery system.
Introduced last year as part of the Second Republic’s efforts to digitalise the country’s judiciary system in line with modern trends, IECMS automates and tracks all aspects of a case life cycle, from initial filing through to disposition and appeal.
The system has managed to cut litigation costs significantly, having been installed for US$3,8 million.
This is contrary to wild and unfounded allegations flying on some social media outlets that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) acquired the system at a cost of US$34 million and that the system is not compatible with the JSC infrastructure.
In an interview, JSC spokesperson Mr Daniel Nemukuyu explained the IECMS tendering process.
“All the tender processes were complied with before the procurement of the IECMS system. Firstly, the tender was advertised in the Press. The Government Gazette and some newspapers published the tender in May 2019. The procurement was done by the procurement department of JSC. Part of the internal processes was that it must be approved by the JSC Tender Technical Committee and the JSC Tender Evaluation Committee.”
He said Government approved the tendering process and every procedure was followed, contrary to the unfounded and mischievous allegations that were peddled on social media and online news reports.
“All this was done before the tender was submitted to the Government Tender Board for evaluation and adjudication. The tender was then authorised. Before the signing of the contract, the tender was submitted to the Office of President Cabinet (OPC) for approval in line with directives from OPC. The agreement was then submitted to AG and Treasury for assessment and compliance before it was signed.
“Both the Government Tender Board and JSC internal procurement processes were complied with before the tender was awarded. An ethical journalist would have simply checked with the tender board before writing, rather than relying on a document authored by an anonymous person, who is just being malicious,” said Mr Nemukuyu.
He added that the tender value was almost 10 percent of the US$34 million reported on social media.
Mr Nemukuyu said the system, that was introduced in 2022, is working well and has improved access to justice.
“The IECMS system is perfectly working in all the courts for over a year now. Some legal practitioners have done virtual hearings even whilst outside the country successfully. The allegations that the system does not work are manifestly false and devoid of any technical or scientific support. A person in Kezi or Mutawatawa who does not have gadgets or Internet to use the system now needs to go to the nearest court at Kezi Magistrates Court or Mutawatawa Magistrates Court, where there are e-filing offices with internet and gadgets and trained personnel to assist them to file their papers rather than before when they had to travel all the way to Bulawayo or Harare to access the High Court or all the way to Harare to access the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court,” he said.
An online report sought to sully the image of the JSC in particular, and its secretary Mr Walter Chikwana, through fabrications that he dismissed as frivolous and unfounded.
“The Land Cruiser that I am driving is a condition of service vehicle approved by Cabinet for JSC Secretary, Clerk of Parliament and others of similar grade. There is actually Cabinet authority approval that authorised the purchase of the vehicle. The Chief Justice is not involved at all in the purchase and approval of conditions of service vehicles,” Mr Chikwana said.
In respect of vehicles for other JSC managers, he said they are being bought as and when resources are available, like any Government departments.
“They receive the cars on the basis of seniority and this is the process underway”.
Commenting on reports that he built a school in Crowhill, Harare, Mr Chikwana said he does not own any property in Crowhill.
He also denied purchasing a farm as alleged on social media, saying he does not have the resources to do so.
Instead, Mr Chikwana confirmed that he has a farm allocated to him by the Government in Mazowe under Permit Number 031575198105V070205.
He dismissed sexual harassment claims raised against him saying they were baseless.
“The allegations of sexual abuse are now a tired and old story which is resuscitated each time someone wants to muddy me. For more than three years now, we continue to wait for complaints from any victim of such abuse.”
“It is, however, unfortunate that we continue to have in our patriarchy system some amongst us, especially men and some women unfortunately, who believe that a woman cannot do well on her own or be promoted after beating even some men in an interview,” said Mr Chikwana.
“They still believe that a woman must give sexual favour to be considered for promotion. That is looking down upon women or mere jealousy caused by patriarchy inebriation. Such allegations will not stop us from promoting women on merit where they prove to be the best candidates. The JSC has a clear employment process that is followed every time a recruitment is done”.
Online Reporter