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Bulawayo Bureau

ZIMBABWE is a constitutional democracy that respects the rule of law and independence of the courts despite attempts by detractors to tarnish the image of the country, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi said yesterday.

Speaking at the official opening of the 7th Congress of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdiction of Africa (CJCA) in Victoria Falls, he said the hosting of the meeting, which is being attended by Chief Justices from 45 countries from the region, was a vote of confidence in Zimbabwe’s jurisdiction and the country’s judiciary.

More than 200 delegates from 45 constitutional jurisdictions and African states including Zimbabwe, nine regional and international organisations and three observer countries are attending.

“This is the biggest gathering of judiciaries in Africa and we can only be proud as Zimbabwe to have been afforded the opportunity to host such an important meeting,” said Minister Ziyambi.  “We are glad that you elected to come to Zimbabwe, a country which is a constitutional democracy and, which respects the rule of law.

“In our quest to improve the administration of justice in Zimbabwe we both realise that we have a duty to ensure that the constitutionally set parameters are respected,” said the Minister.

“The courts are independent and subject only to the constitution and the law, and our interactions jealously guards this constitutional imperative.”

This shows that Zimbabwe has a functioning and vibrant judiciary worth the respect of its counterparts in the region, Minister Ziyambi said.

The Minister paid tribute to Chief Justice Luke Malaba and the entire Judicial Service Commission team for a successful event, and the cordial relations with the ministry, which he said had contributed to various successes in the administration of justice, especially on access to justice for the poor, marginalised and persons with disabilities.

He challenged jurisdictions to continue exploring ways of strengthening and capacitating their respective judiciaries for the common good of the people who look up to the courts to safeguard their fundamental human rights and uphold rule of law.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said the province was honoured to host the event, which advances constitutional governance while protecting fundamental human rights across the continent and beyond.

“Such a gathering symbolises our collective commitment for the growth and development of Africa and, as Matabeleland North, it is our singular privilege, pride and honour to be the province you chose as host for this magnificent event,” he said.

“This gathering demonstrates our collective and unstoppable resolve to jointly reflect on matters of constitutional justice and the rule of law.”

The inaugural CJCA congress was held in 2011 in Algeria and Zimbabwe is hosting the second event in Southern Africa after South Africa in 2017.

The theme for the congress is: “Human dignity as a fundamental value and principle: A source of constitutional interpretation, protection of fundamental human rights and application.” Chief Justice Malaba, host and incoming CJCA chair said hosting the 7th Congress is evidence of the solidarity shared by constitutional jurisdictions in Africa.

He said human dignity is at the heart of constitutionalism, as enshrined in international human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981).

“The international human rights instruments referred to above tell us that fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in many constitutions of African countries derive from human dignity,” he said. “As a source of every fundamental human right, inherent human dignity forms the essence of the right. We must, therefore, take the opportunity to use this platform to advance our commitment to the respect for human rights as an aspect of constitutional democracy.”

Chief Justice Malaba commended Government for supporting the JSC in preparing for the event, adding that continued support from President Mnangagwa’s Second Republic had enabled reforms in the justice delivery system resulting in improvement of conditions of service for the judiciary to international standards.