President Mnangagwa has appointed five new judges to the
High Court bench in an effort to solidify the judicial organ and ensure
expeditious justice delivery.
The judges comprising four men and one woman are expected
to take oath of office before Chief Justice Luke Malaba, when the final term of
2019 legal year opens next month.
Veteran lawyer, Advocate Webster Chinamora, prominent
Bulawayo-based lawyer Christopher Dube-Banda, Labour Court judge Evengelista
Kabasa, Zimra head legal department Siyabona Msithu and Sunsley Zisengwe, who
boasts of shining legal accolades after he obtained first-class law degrees at
both undergraduate and master’s levels, are the latest to join the High Court
bench.
They were among the cast of 18 candidates nominated to
contest for eight vacancies of the High Court bench last month.
Judicial Service Commission acting secretary Mr Walter
Chikwanha yesterday confirmed the appointment of the five.
“His Excellency the President has made the appointments of
the five to the High Court bench,” he said, adding, “The Chief Justice (Luke
Malaba) will preside over the swearing in ceremony of the five on September 4.”
The judges were
appointed following public interviews held by the JSC last month, which seeks
to increase transparency and enhance good governance.
The five were among the list of top performers, whose names
were recommended for appointment by the JSC.
After the interviews, the JSC sent a list of “qualified
persons as nominees” for the available posts.
The appointment of the five judges is expected to ease the
workload that had reached breaking point, affecting the bench’s capacity to
timeously dispense with cases requiring determination.
In one of the judgments, in February this year, Justice
Tawanda Chitapi bemoaned the immense pressure the higher court operated under
due to increased workload.
He made the remarks while delivering judgment in a dispute
over a residential stand in Goromonzi involving Blessing Mureyani and Ms Maggie
Genti.
Judgment in the case had delayed for almost three years.
Justice Chitapi’s sentiments resonated with Chief Justice Malaba’s remarks
during the official opening of the 2019 Legal Year in January.
In his keynote address, the Chief Justice noted the
workload of the High Court judges. He said the judges worked under extremely
difficult conditions.
“It is anticipated that in 2019 what remains clear is that
the judges of that court are overworked,” he said adding, “More Judges are
required to lessen the burden on the judges’ shoulders.” Herald
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