President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday morning presented an agricultural mechanisation package to retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba at State House.
Mnangagwa said the package is intended to support Malaba’s transition into retirement and to recognise his decades of distinguished service.
The package comprises a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer and a planter to support his farming activities.
“It was my pleasure to welcome the recently retired Chief Justice, Luke Malaba, to State House today,” Mnangagwa wrote on his social media pages.
“In recognition of his outstanding service spanning decades, unwavering commitment, and exemplary legal leadership within the Zimbabwean judiciary, I presented him with an agricultural mechanisation package to facilitate his transition into post-retirement life.
“The package comprises a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter to facilitate his agricultural pursuits.
“As he retires from the judiciary, I encourage him to leverage his vast expertise in the agricultural sector.
“Our land is a vital asset, and productivity must persist at all levels.
“I applaud the retired Chief Justice for his dedication to the nation and wish him every success in his future agricultural ventures.”
Malaba officially retired on 15 May 2026. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said his last active working day ended at midnight on 14 May 2026, marking the conclusion of his extended five-year term after turning 75.
He was succeeded by Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, who took office on 15 May 2026. Her appointment is historic, making her Zimbabwe’s first female Chief Justice.
During his tenure, Malaba was widely regarded by critics, members of the legal fraternity and political analysts as a key ally in consolidating Mnangagwa’s political authority, with his support reflected in a series of major judicial interventions and landmark rulings.
For example, after the hotly contested July 2018 elections, opposition leader Nelson Chamisa challenged Mnangagwa’s narrow victory, alleging widespread fraud and manipulation by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
Malaba presided over the televised Constitutional Court hearing and delivered the unanimous ruling that dismissed Chamisa’s petition, holding that the opposition had failed to provide “clear, direct, sufficient and credible evidence.”
By upholding the election result, Malaba gave legal validation to Mnangagwa’s first full presidential term.
The presentation raises fresh questions about the relationship between the Executive and the judiciary.
The gifting of high-value assets to a recently retired head of the bench, at State House and with full presidential publicity, will be read by critics as blurring the line between recognition and patronage.
There is no public criteria for such post-retirement packages, nor any indication that other retired senior public officers receive comparable state-funded support for private farming ventures.
In a country where mechanisation remains out of reach for most communal and small-scale farmers, the optics of a former Chief Justice receiving a tractor and truck from the President are politically charged.
Related:
Chief Justice Luke Malaba To Retire On 15 May 2026
What’s The Value, What’s The Source? Critic Demands Answers On Mnangagwa Gifts To Malaba