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Incoming sadc chairperson for Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa (left), Malawian representative Dr Janet Banda and sadc excutive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax (right) at a meeting in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday took over the chairmanship of the SADC Committee for Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General and was tasked to ensure the setting up of the SADC Administrative Tribunal.

The sadc Administrative Tribunal will deal with disputes involving the regional body’s employees.

Minister Mnangagwa took over from his Malawian counterpart, Minister Samuel Tembenu, who chaired the committee from August last year.

The handover and takeover was done yesterday during the committee’s five-day meeting that ends today in Harare.

Minister Tembenu failed to attend the meeting, but sent the country’s Solicitor-General, Dr Janet Banda, to represent him.

Addressing the meeting, sadc executive secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax hailed Minister Tembenu for coming up with a new sadc Tribunal protocol that was ratified by all member states during his one-year term of office.

She urged Minister Mnangagwa to work hard to come up with a legal framework for the creation and operationalisation of the Administrative Tribunal.

“Now that you are taking over as new chairperson, and while we have been able to conclude the protocol and the staff related to the tribunal, work is still very heavy and we depend on you,” she said.

“This meeting will enable your committee to consider and propose to the council and summit the legal framework for the creation and operationalisation of the future sadc Administrative Tribunal. This is also our ongoing work based on what was concluded as our new tribunal.

“The Administrative Tribunal will present a significant progress in administration of justice in sadc, especially regarding settlement of disputes between sadc and its employees.

“This is very critical for us and we believe this will be dealt with comprehensively and finalised by your committee to enable the organ to deal with these matters fairly and in line with the legal provisions as required.”

Dr Tax said the committee would deal with other outstanding issues affecting the region.

“Your committee will also deliberate on the common approach that SADC should follow for the resolution of disputes that have remained pending at the SADC Tribunal,” she said.

“The committee will also examine the issue of whether there is any conflict between Articles 3 and 31 of the Treaty as well as the approach that should be followed on the choice of the law suitable for contracts between sadc and private sector or other stakeholders.”

In his acceptance speech, Minister Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was committed to sadc work and pledged to perform to expectation.

“It is my honour, on behalf of the Republic of Zimbabwe, to accept the chairmanship of this committee of the sadc Ministers of Justice/Attorneys-General,” he said. “Zimbabwe is committed to the work of sadc and the efforts that are being carried out to achieve regional integration.

“It is my hope that we will work well together in the coming year and it is my sincere belief that we can achieve all our objectives if our efforts are unified.”

Minister Mnangagwa hailed Minister Tembenu for a successful tenure that saw the creation and ratification of the sadc Protocol for a new Tribunal.

In a speech read on his behalf, Minister Tembenu pledged to support Zimbabwe and Minister Mnangagwa to achieve the committee’s objectives.

The Justice ministers and the Attorneys-General toured the National Heroes Acre after yesterday’s session.