All criminal and civil cases are at present being held at Gokwe centre township about 160km from Nembudziya in Gokwe North.
This has resulted in witnesses failing to appear in court because of transport costs.
“We are at present mixing with known criminals. If you report them, their cases are taken to Gokwe centre. After that, witnesses fail to attend and the criminals are discharged because of lack of evidence,” a villager at Nembudziya 2, told The Zimbabwean.
“Cases of child abuse are rampant here. However, because of loss of confidence in the justice system, no-one is bothering approaching the police because the same perpetrators just spend a few weeks in custody and then come back,” Trynos Chisi another villager said.
A teacher at Dukaupfu secondary school said civil cases involving mostly Government employees who ditch local girls after impregnating them are on the increase but the perpetrators are walking scot free.
“There is no magistrate to enforce maintenance laws. So many people are suffering because of that,” said the teacher who decline to be named.
Vengai Douglas Chikwekwe, the provincial magistrate, said everyone is waiting for the Judicial Service Commission to deploy a magistrate to Gokwe North.
“Deployment of magistrates is an administrative matter overseen by the Judicial Service Commission. They will react to it,” he said.
Post published in: News