The Sunday News
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
THE Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi has designated Zvishavane Court as a regional court, a development that is set to enhance judiciary service delivery in the area.
An average of 25 regional court cases per month such as rape and armed robbery from Zvishavane and Mberengwa districts were being referred to the Gweru Regional Court. Minister Ziyambi announced the development in a Statutory Instrument 261 of 2021.
He said the upgrade was done in terms of Section 4 (1) (b) of the Magistrates Court Act. Zvishavane regional court will cover Zvishavane Town, Buchwa, Sandawana and Mberengwa. Lawyers welcomed the development saying it would bring justice close to the people considering that suspects were being brought from as far as Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa which is about 200 kilometres from Gweru.
Mrs Takashinga Pamacheche- Mubonesi of Gundu, Dube and Pamacheche Legal Practitioners said:
“The designation of Zvishavane as a regional court is a welcome development and reflects the strides that the Judicial Service Commission is making in the administration of the justice delivery system. The designation not only means that cases which ordinarily would have clogged the Gweru regional court from Zvishavane, will now be dealt with within that jurisdiction and this will ease pressure on the Gweru regional court while expediting matters in Zvishavane and its surrounding areas.”
Mr Esau Mandipa of Mutatu and Mandipa Legal Practice commended the Government for the move. He said that meant that there would be easy access to justice since the regional court in question will be near litigants, both State witnesses and accused persons as opposed to them travelling to Gweru.
“This means for witnesses and accused persons in and around Zvishavane, transport costs have been reduced when going to the regional court. As regards to reducing piling of cases at the Gweru Regional Court, what it simply means is that there will be reduced backlog of cases being heard in Gweru since some will now be handled by the newly designated Zvishavane regional court and some are being handled by the Gokwe regional court,” he said.
Another lawyer Mr Tinodaishe Chinyoka said the move meant senior magistrates will now be deployed to Zvishavane.
Midlands provincial prosecutor Mr Samuel Pedzisayi said the development means that justice delivery is being brought closer to the people.
“On average Gweru regional court receives 25 cases from Buchwa, Mberengwa, Mataga, and Zvishavane. It therefore means that the Gweru regional court will not be clogged from cases from Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts,” he said.
