Courts need sprucing up: Makarau
MOST courts in Mashonaland West Province require sprucing up to dignify them as the cradle of justice delivery, Judicial Services Commission (JSC) secretary Justice Rita Makarau, has said.
Justice Makarau who toured courts and offices in the province on Tuesday, said she was disappointed by the state of Chinhoyi and Chegutu magistrates courts.
“What we have seen here in Chinhoyi is quite disappointing. Chinhoyi happens to be a provincial court for us and we were expecting it to lead by example, but the state of disrepair of the furniture is quite disappointing,” she said.
“It is a recommendation that we will take back to the Chief Justice (Luke Malaba) that we completely overhaul the courts that we have seen here at Chinhoyi, give them a facelift and give them new furniture to go with the status of the courts as a province.”
She said some of the challenges were beyond the administration of the court.
Justice Makarau and her team visited Banket Magistrate Courts yesterday and will visit Karoi and Kariba today and tomorrow, respectively.
Asked about the new court building that has been under construction in Chinhoyi for the past 10 years, Justice Makarau said the quoted project cost was too high and it would take at least three years to complete.
“The remaining work on the double storey building is expected to cost between $9 million and $11 million.
“This is a project that we inherited as the Judicial Services Commission. When JSC received its expanded mandate in 2010, this project had already started.
“The amounts that we are being quoted now are such that we cannot afford to continue with the project.
“We hear of amounts ranging between $9 million and $11 million and that is money that we definitely don’t have in our budget currently,” she said.
She said the current makeshift courts housed at the old Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital needed to be spruced up as they will remain in use for the next three to four years.
Staff at the courts are sharing offices while furniture is in an advanced state of disrepair.
She, however, expressed satisfaction with the court in Kadoma describing it as one of the best she has seen in the country.
The situation was not so pleasing at the Chegutu courts where magistrates are crammed in one office.
At least six prosecutors are sharing one office while interpreters are using the corridor which they have improvised to use as their office.
“The situation is clearly unacceptable and we will again be making suitable recommendations to the Chief Justice on what we think can be done to improve the situation in Chegutu,” she said.
She commended courts in Mashonaland West province for clearing the backlog of cases saying they have managed to keep it in check even under difficult situations.
The tour is looking at infrastructure at the courts, the state of furniture and working conditions.
The team which includes various departments in the Commission will make recommendations to the Chief Justice upon completion of the tour.