Commission Moves To Tackle Zimbabwe’s Corrupt Judiciary

Posted by Daniel Jones African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Around Africa Friday, December 4th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – ZIMBABWE’S Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has launched a five-year strategic plan which it hopes to use to salvage an image battered by corruption and bad governance.

The past few months have been darker for the commission which saw two High Court judges, one fired and the other suspended for acting in manner viewed as not in tandem with the commission’s operations.

A magistrate is also being investigated for joining politics where he is seeking elections into ruling Zanu-PF’s District Coordinating Committee elections set for this weekend.

Judges also more than a month ago wrote to President Mnangagwa expressing displeasure about conditions of service and ill-treatment by Chief Justice Luke Malaba.

President Mnangagwa launched the JSC 2021-2025 strategic plan at the Harare international Conference Centre Wednesday.

He implored JSC to take a leading stand in the fight against corruption, in a country where citizens have complained about Government failure to prosecutor corrupt top government officials.

“This strategic plan dovetails with the country’s National Development Strategy. The strategy aptly and prominently captures the spirit of national development and is anchored on Vision 2030 which seeks to achieve an upper middle class society by that year. Having said this, there is an elephant in the house and I want to challenge JSC to take a leading role in fighting corruption in the country,” he said.

The five-year plan succeeds the 2016-2020 strategic plan which comes to an end this month.

The JSC was supported by the United Nations Development Programme to gather people’s opinions countrywide.

JSC had its first five year plan in 2012 and it ended in 2016.

The strategic plan goals are to make sure there is a well-resourced and independent JSC, public trust and confidence in the justice delivery system, a highly effective and efficient JSC as well as a motivated, skilled and competent judicial service.

It also focuses on core operations and resources, communities and customer needs, internal systems and organizational effectiveness, human resources and external factors and jurisprudential impact

Under fire Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the JSC which celebrated 10 years of existed on June 10 this year said corruption and incompetence were identified as key focus areas for the commission.

UN resident coordinator in Zimbabwe Maria Ribeiro who also attended the launch implored JSC to strive to restore people’s confidence in rule of law.