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Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter—

Mutare is set to have its first High Court in June, as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) continues with the decentralisation of superior courts in a bid to improve access by the majority.

This will become the fourth High Court to be commissioned after the Masvingo High Court that was opened last year.

Over the past 122 years, Zimbabwe operated with only two High Courts in Harare and Bulawayo.

During his tenure as Chief Justice, Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku took a deliberate decision to decentralise the High Court.

In a wide-ranging address at the official opening of the 2017 Legal Year on Monday, Chief Justice Chidyausiku said the JSC had acquired a building in Mutare which it was renovating with assistance from the Department of Public Works.

“The High Court in Zimbabwe has since time immemorial been associated with the cities of Harare and Bulawayo,” said Chief Justice Chidyausiku.

“The opening of Masvingo High Court marked the beginning of the process to decentralise the higher courts. A new High Court in Mutare is scheduled for opening in June 2017 if everything goes according to plan.”

Chief Justice Chidyausiku took the opportunity to urge his yet to be appointed successor to continue improving access to justice.

Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire and Justice Garainesu Mawadze are running the newly established Masvingo High Court and another set of judges is expected to be posted to Mutare once the court opens.

The opening of the Masvingo High Court is paying dividends as the court has managed to reduce the runaway backlog of cases, while improving the justice delivery system in the province and surrounding areas.

The JSC upgraded the former Masvingo Civil Court into the permanent High Court that is now catering for Masvingo Province and parts of Matabeleland South and Manicaland province.