As the race to replace President Robert Mugabe hots up, Vice President and heir apparent, Emmerson Mnangagwa has downed Grace Mugabe loyalists (Saviour Kasukuwere and the rest of the G40 faction) by opening a strategic High Court in the troublesome Masvingo Province (loyal to him) which has gone on record to tell the First Lady to her face that she will not make it to State House. The curious juncture now means that legal cases involving and affecting Mnangagwa loyalists will now be handled in a said “safe” home environment – Masvingo.
The development comes hot in the heels of violent disturbances needing High Court mediation which saw the Zanu PF Provincial Political Commissar Jeppy Jaboon after openly attacking Mnangagwa, surviving an abduction attempt by two unknown assailants (CLICK HERE TO READ MORE).
Mnangagwa yesterday opened Zimbabwe’s third High Court in Masvingo, making it the first to be opened after independence, and the first such in 120 years of Zimbabwe’s entire legal and sovereign life as ZimEye.com reveals. Zimbabwe has been operating with two permanent high courts in Harare and Bulawayo which were built before independence.
120 years later, Mnangagwa has decided to write his own history.
Officially opening the High Court, Mnangagwa said the government endeavors to ensure that justice is accessible to all the people without exception.
“The establishment of the new court here will undoubtedly reduce the back log of cases in the province. Previously, people had to travel to Harare or Bulawayo high courts for cases,” he said.
Masvingo Province has been recording the highest number of murder cases for the past few years, a situation which Mnangagwa said is deplorable, adding that the cases will now be attended to on time.
“It has currently been observed that Masvingo Province records the highest number of murder cases year in year out. You can’t have such a record, we are all ashamed. This high court here will see the fast conclusion of some of these murder cases,” said Mnangagwa.
Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku said the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) used limited resources for the establishment of the Masvingo High Court.
He added that while Midlands Province has the highest backlog of cases, Masvingo was given first priority as there were already premises which they renovated to establish the high court.
“Due to limited resources, we realised that we could not set up courts at all the centres but because we had premises in Masvingo, it will be better to start here as we had just to renovate the magistrates court,” said Chidyausiku.