Zimpapers Reporter
LOCAL Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary Mr Tafadzwa Muguti has called for mobile phones to be barred from chiefs’ courts to protect the confidentiality of proceedings under the traditional justice system.
Mr Muguti said this in Harare on Tuesday during a meeting with Provincial Assemblies of Chiefs, directors of local government and district development coordinators.
He questioned the practice of publicising proceedings in traditional courts, saying the focus should be on the work of the courts rather than publicity.
“We should not be allowing cell phones into the chief’s court,” he said.
“Why are we now trying to be celebrities?”
Mr Muguti also said Government was facilitating amendments to the Traditional Leaders Act to strengthen disciplinary mechanisms within the National Chiefs’ Council.
He said the current law had a gap because disciplinary structures for traditional leaders operated outside the council.
“There is one fundamental aspect which is missing in the Traditional Leaders Act, and that is the issue of the national disciplinary structures,” said Mr Muguti.
“Currently, the disciplinary structures are sitting outside the National Chiefs’ Council. That should not be the case.
“If parliamentarians can discipline each other within parliamentary structures, surely as National Chiefs’ Council, you can discipline each other within the National Chiefs’ Council.”
He said authorities were actively working towards amending the legislation to address the issue.
“Because of that, we are now actively facilitating amendments to the Traditional Leaders Act,” he said.
The proposed changes would seek to place disciplinary mechanisms within the National Chiefs’ Council, enabling traditional leaders to handle disciplinary matters within their own structures.
Further details on how the proposed restriction on filming would be implemented, including whether it would require new regulations or amendments to existing laws, were not provided.
