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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
RENOVATIONS at the newly-acquired Labour Court building in Harare are now complete and the official opening ceremony of the court is expected next month.

The state-of the-art three-storey structure, situated along Rotten Row, will now house the Labour Court and judges are expected to have moved by the beginning of the next legal term in May.

Speaking after touring the new building last week, Chief Justice Luke Malaba expressed satisfaction with the renovations.

The Chief Justice said a befitting ceremony should be held to mark the official opening of the courthouse. He applauded the JSC Secretariat for a job well done.

“You (secretariat) are really pitching high standards for our courts. This is beautiful and no one can refuse to work here. I am impressed and we should organise a befitting opening ceremony for the building,” he said.

The Chief Justice said the taxpayers’ money was put to good use in renovating the structure.

“If you can go around, you will see that surely, money went in. The taxpayers’ money was well spent. That is our distinction from other institutions where money ends up in individuals’ pockets without any development.

“That has always been our strength as JSC and we will never give up on it,” said Chief Justice Malaba.

The magnificent structure has enough space for all stakeholders including the police, sheriff and information technology.

Judges of the Labour Court will now have bigger and spacious offices.

The spacious building also accommodates support staff and other important stakeholders like the sheriff and the police.

The Labour Court was operating from Bristols Building along Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, which was too small for the court’s operations.

Files and furniture will be moved to the new structure during the court’s vacation period this month ahead of the official opening.

The Chief Justice also visited the Harare Civil Court premises at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and Fourth Street where some refurbishments were recently done.

The same premises also house the recently opened Magistrates’ Commercial Court and Small Claims Court.

JSC only refurbished the structures it occupies at the premises. Civil Court premises, formerly stables, have since been condemned as inhabitable, but JSC has made efforts to spruce it up.

“Our blocks now have a beautiful look, but those occupied by other departments in the same premises are in bad shape.

“We will engage the Government over the issue and negotiate a takeover of the premises.

“We are next to the well-maintained Defence House and Munhumutapa Building. We should not lower the standards by having dilapidated structures like those ones next to the Office of the President,” said Chief Justice Malaba.