ZIMBABWE has a role to define its own destiny regarding promotion of rule of law and access to justice, with development partners only expected to render financial or technical support to implement the already crafted strategies, Chief Justice Luke Malaba has said.

He commended the cordial relations that exist between the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the European Union (EU), saying it was an ideal partnership based on mutual respect and recognition that Zimbabweans are capable of doing their own things.

EU, through the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), has been assisting the country’s justice sector since 2011 with at least US$7 million having been injected to fund projects aimed at promoting rule of law and access to justice.

Chief Justice Malaba was speaking to EU and ICJ representatives who visited him at his offices at Mashonganyika Building in Harare last Friday.

He said the burden to decide on projects to be undertaken lay with the people of Zimbabwe and development partners cannot dictate strategies on Zimbabwe’s Judiciary.

“I think that is where our relationship with EU and ICJ has always been perfect. At no time did the EU and the ICJ dictate to JSC on what programmes to pursue and on what things to be done.