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Herald Reporter

A SURGE in murder cases in the Midlands Province has prompted Chief Justice Luke Malaba to set up High Court circuits in Gokwe and Gweru to clear about 150 cases in three weeks.

In circuit courts, judges move around a region or country to different towns or cities where they will hear cases.

The term is derived from the English custom of itinerant courts whose judges periodically travelled on pre-set paths, or circuits, to hear cases from different areas.

The Midlands Province has a backlog of 500 murder cases, which require clearing.

Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Mr Walter Chikwana, visited stations in the province a month ago where he realised that murder cases were on the rise.

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JSC spokesperson, Mr Daniel Nemukuyu, yesterday confirmed that special courts had since been set up to clear the cases.

“Considering that we do not have a High Court station in the Midlands, Chief Justice (Luke) Malaba decided to constitute a team of judges to preside over the cases in the province,” he said.

“Circuit courts were gazetted for Gweru and Gokwe. The High Court will sit in Gweru and Gokwe from tomorrow (today) September 9, 2024.”

The court in Gweru is expected to clear 90 cases, while the one in Gokwe is expected to deal with 60 cases.

Senior Judge of the Bulawayo High Court, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, will sit in Gweru together with Justices Ngoni Nduna and Naison Chivhayo.

Deputy Judge president Justice Garainesu Mawadze and the head of the Criminal Division of the High Court, Justice Esther Muremba, will be in Gokwe.

A team of experienced prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority has also been deployed to the circuit courts.

“As the JSC, we are working on setting up a permanent High Court station in the Midlands Province to deal with the rising murder cases and other High Court matters,” Mr Nemukuyu said.

Recently, Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, attributed the high number of murder cases to illegal gold mining  scuffles.

He said most murders were recorded in gold mining towns such as Shurugwi, Kwekwe, Mberengwa, Gokwe, Mvuma, Zvishavane and Gweru.

It is against this background, Insp Mahoko said, that the Midlands police has continuously issued prohibitions against carrying dangerous weapons such as machetes, axes, catapults, swords, knives or daggers, knobkerries or any traditional weapons throughout the year.

“We are appealing to members of the public to desist from engaging in violence when solving disputes.

“Murder is now a serious cause for concern in the Midlands as statistics from the JSC indicate that the province recorded the highest number of cases.

“May all people in leadership positions talk about the issue whenever they address their subjects to help in reducing crime. It is critical that all citizens play their part in preventing violent crime,” he said.