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Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter
A Harare lawyer has been struck off the register after a tribunal convicted him of failing to pay his client over US$68 000 that was deposited into his firm’s trust account, on time.

Tayengwa Dugmore Muskwe (58) had been practising for 30 years when he breached the Legal Practitioners Act.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) sets standards of professional responsibility for lawyers and upholds the regulations through a complaints and discipline process.

Muskwe pleaded guilty to improper conduct before a three-member panel of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal led by High Court judge Justice Felistas Chatukuta.

Other members were Justice Joseph Musakwa and lawyer Mr Davison Kanokanga.

In deleting Muskwe from the roll, Justice Chatukuta said the lawyer’s admission to the offence was a clear testimony of misappropriation of client’s funds.

She said such conduct invited nothing else, but the ultimate penalty, “the death sentence”.

“It is accordingly ordered that the respondent’s (Muskwe) name be deleted from the register of the legal practitioners, notaries public and conveyancers,” said Justice Chatukuta.

In addition, Muskwe was ordered to pay all the costs for the proceedings.

Justice Chatukuta also found that Muskwe’s conduct brought into disrepute the integrity of the entire legal profession.