NEW: Meet your new judges

Online Reporter

LAST month, Chief Justice Luke Malaba swore in 10 new judges to the High Court bench and one to the Administrative Court following their appointment by President Mnangagwa.

Chief Justice Malaba also swore in the newly appointed Deputy Judge President, Justice Garainesu Mawadze.

The appointment of the judges came following a series of public interviews for 39 candidates.

Here we give you a glimpse into the judges’ professional journeys.

Justice Regis Dembura

Born on December 31, 1981, Justice Regis Dembure was registered as a legal practitioner on October 11, 2006, before joining C Nhemwa and Associates during the same year.

Justice Dembura left the law firm in February 2010 to join Mabula and Dembura Legal Practitioners, where he worked and doubled as a law lecturer at University of Zimbabwe until he joined the High Court bench.

Justice Faith Mushure

She joined the Judicial Service Commission as a magistrate stationed at the Harare Magistrates’ Court in 2004.

Justice Mushure was then promoted to become provincial magistrate-in-charge in the chief magistrate’s office from 2007 to 2011 before being transferred to head Mbare Magistrates’ Court until 2013.

Between 2013 and 2016, she was employed as the Registrar of the Labour Court before being transferred to work as the Registrar of the High Court, a position she held until 2019.

She worked as the head of policy and legal services in JSC between 2019 and 2020 before assuming the position of deputy secretary policy and legal services, where she worked for one year and was later promoted to chief magistrate, a position she held until she was appointed to the High Court bench.

Justice Mushure also held various other portfolios during her tenure as a magistrate.

She was born on September 9, 1980.

Justice Joel Mambara

He worked for 22 years as a registered legal practitioner before assuming his position as a High Court judge.

Justice Mambara was employed as a legal administrative officer in the then Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development between 1990 and 1992.

He then became a senior legal administration officer in the same ministry in 1993.

He then left the ministry in the same year to join private legal practice, where he worked as professional assistant at Musunga and Associates, Kwenda and Associates and J Mambara and Partners Legal Practitioners.

Justice Mambara once worked as general manager at Garfield Industries, deputy town clerk/chamber secretary at Bindura Municipality from 1995 to 1998, as well as a part-time lecturer at the Zimbabwe Distance Education College from 1991 to 1993.

Justice Ngoni Nduna

Between 2003 and 2019, Justice Nduna was in charge of Karoi, Guruve, Kariba, Chivhu and Bindura magistrates’ courts as a resident magistrate.

He was then moved to be provincial magistrate-in-charge of Mashonaland West province in 2019, before moving to Harare as principal administrator in the chief magistrate’s office.

On January 6, 2022, he was appointed the deputy chief magistrate.

Justice Sijabuliso Siziba

He registered as a legal practitioner on April 10, 2001, and worked for 22 years before joining the High Court bench.

Justice Siziba was employed as professional assistant at Nfila Attorneys in Botswana before being employed as a magistrate at the Administration of Justice Department of Botswana until 2015.

Justice Siziba also worked as a professional assistant at Cheda & Partners and at Sibusiso Ndlovu Legal Practitioners.

Justice Vivian Ndlovu

Justice Ndlovu worked at St James Secondary School as a teacher between 1993 and 1995.

She was then employed as a magistrate stationed at Plumtree, Zvishavane and Western Commonage Magistrates Court.

She moved to Hwange Magistrates’ Court in 2000, where she rose through the ranks to become the provincial magistrate for Hwange Magistrates’ Court in 2010.

Justice Ndlovu moved to Bulawayo as acting regional magistrate in 2011 and later Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court as provincial magistrate second-in-charge.

She worked as acting deputy registrar of High Court Bulawayo between September 2013 and January 2014 and left the country to work as a principal magistrate in Oshakati and Rundu Magistrates Court in Namibia between January 2015 and  January 2019.

On her return, she worked at Plumtree and Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court as provincial magistrate and later regional magistrate.

Justice Gibson Mandaza

Justice Mandaza joined JSC as a magistrate in 2005 and rose through the ranks until he was the provincial magistrate in charge of Mashonaland East Province in 2010.

He then moved to Harare as regional magistrate in 2022 and was later appointed deputy chief magistrate of Zimbabwe.

Justice Mandaza then left JSC to work as general manager legal and advisory services at the Zimbabwe Land Commission, a position he held before joining the High Court bench.

Justice Naison Chivayo

In 1994, he was an assistant inspector in charge of crime in the police, a position he held until 1998 when he was promoted to superintendent and later as acting officer-in-charge Manyame Police District.

He was then promoted to chief superintendent in 2002, and then staff officer pay and records between 2003 and 2006.

In 2008 he was deployed to be the acting director of legal services criminal before being promoted to Assistant Commissioner, a position he held until he was promoted to the High Court bench.

Other positions he held are Assistant Commissioner Operations Bulawayo, Assistant Commissioner Crime Bulawayo, Acting Director Legal Services Police General Headquarters and Southern Regional Legal Advisor.

Justice Mpokiseng Dube

He has been in the legal practice for 22 years after being registered in 2001.

During his career, Justice Dube worked as a professional assistant at Sijabuliso Ndlovu Legal Practitioners and junior partner at Marondedze and Nyathi Legal Practitioners.

He then moved to Namibia where he worked as senior magistrate between April 2006 and April 2012. Justice Dube worked as a chief legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, Directorate of Legal Aid in Namibia between May 2012 and November 2020.

In 2003, he then returned to the country to work as a senior partner at Dube, Nkala and Company Legal Practitioners until he was appointed a judge.

Justice Phillipa Magnify Phillips

Justice Phillips was a public prosecutor in the then Department of Justice between December 2000 to June 2001 and later moved to work as a part-time senior law clerk at City of Philadelphia from 2002 to April 2009.

She then joined Willing, Williams and Davidson as an associate and later became managing partner at Mabuye, Phillips USA.

In May 2009 she joined the Ministry of Justice as a law officer, but later left for Scanlen and Holderness as a senior associate.

She moved to Phillips Law as a senior partner in December 2014 until she was appointed a judge.

Justice Maxwell Douglas Sande Kaitano

Justice Kaitano worked as an investigations officer from 2004 and rose through the ranks to principal investigations officer in 2006.

In September 2006, he was employed as a legal officer in the office of the public protector.

He joined Karoi Town Council as chief administration officer and was later promoted to Karoi Town Secretary in September 2009.

Justice Kaitano became Chinhoyi Municipality town clerk in August 2016, a position he held until he was appointed judge.