Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Eleven (11) more magistrates were sworn in on Friday by Chief Magistrate Faith Mushure in Harare, bringing the total to 247.
Mushure said most of the court stations in the country now had at least two magistrates except Inyati in Matabeleland North, which has one because of a lack of space to accommodate another magistrate. Said Mushure:
The Judicial Service Commission has several projects which are currently underway. We have Lupane courts which we hope to open soon maybe in the second quarter.
We have Epworth which is at roof level. Gwanda has been lying idle for a long time and we’re happy that the contractor has moved on site and has resumed work.
We have plans to have court in Glen Norah and we are engaging Harare city council for a suitable site.
We have been given a hall but it had other uses and we are now engaging them for another site.
Mushure also revealed that the number of cases handled by magistrates courts has increased since they resumed full operation after the COVID-19 lockdowns. She said:
There have been an increased number of cases. For example, in the fourth quarter of 2021 provincial criminal courts received 22 510 cases and during the first quarter of 2022, they received 24 631.
Civil courts fourth quarter of 2021 received 19 147 cases and in the first quarter of 2022, there were 28 227. There is a marked increase of almost 10 000 cases in the Civil Court.
She added that Zvishavane and Mt Darwin have now been designated as regional courts. This means that top-level magistrates will preside there.
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