Chidyausiku was speaking at the official opening of the 2013 legal year at the High Court in the capital today (Monday).
He said there was need for concerted efforts among stakeholders in the justice system to fight corruption, rather than pointing fingers at each other.
“Members of the Law Society should not point fingers at us, laugh or shake their heads at the judiciary on account of our corrupt officials. Neither should the Police nor the Prison Service.
“In turn, it does not assist anyone if we in the judiciary were to compare the levels of corruption within the judiciary against those in the police, prison or Attorney General’s office and boast that ours is much better,” said Chidyausiku.
Chidyausiku bemoaned that corruption in the justice delivery system had compromised the performance of the courts.
“One corrupt official in the justice delivery chain taints the entire system," said Chidyausiku.
He said, as part of efforts to curb corruption, the High Court introduced an electronic case-tracking system in the Civil Registry department.
“This must be sad news to all those unethical lawyers and litigants who used to request our officers to backdate pleadings, for a fee of course,” said Chidyausiku.
He blamed the Executive for turning a blind eye on the poor working conditions for judges of the Supreme and High Courts and presidents of the Labour Court.
He said the Executive had failed to fulfill its promise of providing them with motor vehicles since 2009. “The constitution of Zimbabwe prohibits the diminution of the conditions of service of a judge during his or her tenure of office.
“The breach of the constitution by the Executive has been brought to the attention of the authorities on more than one occasion and it must be a very grave compelling force that compels the Executive to perpetuate this state of affairs,” said Chidyausiku.
On another note, Chidyausiku bemoaned the shortage of personnel at the Labour Court which he said had resulted in an increased workload.
“The unmanageable volume of work in the Labour Court is in my view directly linked to the faulty structure of that court.
“The court is a one stop shop, catering for all labour disputes without a mechanism of separating the serious ones from those that may not be so serious,” he said.
He said there was need to restructure the Labour Court in a way that will enhance justice delivery in the settlement of labour disputes.
“Disputes that threaten the livelihood of a manufacturing concern for instance or the possible liquidation of a bank cannot be placed on the same footing with the termination of the employment of a single domestic employee for instance,” said Chidyausiku.
He added that despite the appointments of four judges to the High Court bench in December last year, the number of judges and support staff still remained low.
Recent surveys indicate that Zimbabwe is one of the most corrupt countries in Africa.
Post published in: News
Coming from someone who considers himself a “learned Judge” this is lamentable not for its insight but for being so naive! At the height of Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown in 2008 the country’s judges were receiving fully furnished apartments complete with plasma TV, new cars, etc., for example. Did the Judge think Mugabe was doing all this out of the goodness of his tyrannical heart?
Are we expected to believe that the Judge has thought nothing of the reality in Zimbabwe that as a critic or political opponent of Mugabe you will be denied bail and sentenced to very long jail terms. On the other hand if you are a Zanu PF loyalist, you will walk scot-free regardless the seriousness of the case against you.
Most senior members of Zimbabwe’s judiciary service benefited from the chaotic farm seizures. On paper the regime still maintains it was the landless peasants who benefited but the reality on the ground tells a different story. The judiciary has an invested interest in maintain Mugabe and Zanu PF in power at all cost; to protect their loot and their tarnished record.
There is nothing more annoying that a self-righteous hypocrite!
It would be of public interest if you were to check out Case Number SC233/12, currently pending before the Suprem Court of Zimbabwe.
Wilbert you are quite correct. This is typical of this regime the illegitimate president has often “lambasted” people of being corrupt when he and his “first” family are the most corrupt of all. Its a case of the kettle calling the pot black. Corruption will never leave Zimbabwe because its become so entrenched in the society as a whole even the partners in the so called inclusive government are corrupt you just need to look at local council. They are all warming their hands by the same fire.