Chinamasa says Zim Judges least paid in the region

The conditions of service of our judges are very bad, said Chinamasa after coming out of the meeting which lasted about two hours. The meeting was attended by all the countrys High Court judges and the Minister of Finance Tendai Biti. The judges are earning very little far off the regional average for example judges in Zambia earn US$ 2600 while those in Malawi get US$ 4000 but our judges get US$ 300, said Chinamasa.

He however emphasised that the improvement of the judges conditions is dependent on the improvement of the countrys economy. We are not happy with the money that they are receiving but the improvement in service conditions are only depended on the performance of the economy, said Chinamasa. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Gideon Gono, last year splashed millions of scarce foreign currency buying out largesse to the judges at a time when the country was facing widespread hunger, poverty and empty supermarkets.

The central bank chief spent about US$1 million on 16 Mercedes-Benz E280 luxury sedans for senior judges of the high court, the electoral court and the labour court. The bank also spent money buying brand new 32-inch plasma TV sets while the chief justice and judge president got 42-inch screen sets. These came with paid up digital television subscription.

But analysts argued at the time that the move was designed to buy the allegiance of the countrys judges. Patronage is a major part of numerous tactics used by President Mugabe’s to secure support.

The judges are already recipients of commercial farms distributed under the controversial land reform programme.