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Crime Reporter
A 10-member delegation from the Zambia Judicial Service Commission is in the country to learn the performance management system from their counterparts, which they are applying countrywide.

The team, which met Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretary Mr Walter Chikwana yesterday, is led by Chief Administrator Ms Nalishebo Imataa.

Addressing the delegation, Chief Justice Malaba said the purpose of the judiciary was to serve the people and as sister countries, they shared the same vision.

He said the judiciary was the cornerstone in every society, hence the emphasis in ensuring that it is efficient and is effective to achieve its objective.

“So, it is important for us to ensure that we have scientific management processes and systems,” he said.

Chief Justice Malaba said scientific management processes and systems ensured that there were standards, principles and values that guided not just the institutional framework, but all the people that drove the system.

Ms Imataa said they were keen to learn from their colleagues and impart the knowledge back home.

“We had an engagement with the Zimbabwe Judicial Service Commission Secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha and during that engagement, it was actually in Seychelles where we were trying to exchange ideas, and that’s how we learnt as the Zambia judiciary, that they have a performance management system that is specifically made for the courts system,” he said.

“What we have in Zambia is a performance management system that is for the general public service. So, we thought that was not addressing the general needs of the judiciary and hence the decision to come Zimbabwe to understudy the performance management that is employed here.”

Ms Imataa said they had an insightful engagement with Chief Justice Malaba.

As the delegation continues to interact with its counterparts, they will ask and request for more information to get clarity on issues, especially on different levels of the court system.

The delegation hopes to get vital information which they will “tailor-make and panel beat” to suit their court system.

Mr Chikwana said the JSC was happy that other countries were keen to learn from them.

“This is a proud moment for us as Zimbabweans, as country and in particular, as the judiciary in Zimbabwe to have our sister countries coming to benchmark and learn from us in terms of how we are managing the judiciary, especially on the issues of monitoring, supervision and evaluation of our performance,” he said.