Harare (New Ziana)-As the country gears for harmonised elections expected later this year, violence should never be used to suppress divergent views, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday.
Speaking in the satellite town of Epworth, about 15 kilometers southeast of the capital where he officially opened a magistrate’s court which serves the community, President Mnangagwa urged all citizens to maintain the peaceful environment prevailing in the country.
“As you are aware, the 2023 harmonised elections are fast approaching. I therefore call upon all our people, including political parties, civil society organisations, religious institutions and the media to always promote peace. Where we differ, violence must not be an answer or strategy. We are all Zimbabweans first and foremost, brothers and sisters and we must never inflict violence upon ourselves in the name of diverging views.
“Let us sustain the prevailing peace, unity, love and harmony, focused on nation building,” he said.
He implored the courts to deal with matters of political violence decisively and impartially.
“Our courts which are designated to deal with violence, are called upon to deal decisively without fear or favour, any cases, including those who seek to incite or instigate mayhem and chaos,” he said.
The President applauded the Judicial Services Commission and the Finance Ministry for decentralising justice delivery through setting up courts in places like Epworth.
“The construction of this Magistrate court is yet another milestone which attests to my administration’s commitment towards the decentralisation and devolution of essential services. It further enhances access to resources and services, including courts of law, by the majority of our citizens in all parts of Zimbabwe.
“It is my expectation that this new court house and related facilities will enable the expeditious resolution of cases brought before the court. The completion of this court also serves as a reflection of our commitment to take justice to the people,” he said.
He urged judiciary officers to stay clear of corruption.
“I urge judicial officers and legal practitioners among others, to keep the halls of justice clean by shunning and resisting corruption in all its facets.
“The offices of judges and magistrates are sacred. Integrity, fairness and probity of these officials should thus, always inspire the confidence of our people,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the associated travelling costs of litigation will be greatly reduced by the availability and accessibility of court services in the neighbourhood.
“The Commission was particularly anxious to ensure that vulnerable members of the local community would not be impeded in their pursuit of justice by external factors such as distance and costs of travel. This is crucial, particularly in matters that affect the rights of children, women and the physically challenged who are vulnerable groups in society. Justice services have to be easily accessible to these vulnerable groups, as courts have a constitutional obligation to protect them.
“All of us here look forward to seeing cases brought to the court being heard and disposed of without unreasonable delay. Unreasonable delays in the finalisation of cases by courts create in the minds of people an impression of an inefficient and ineffective system. Courts have and must where appropriate, use the power to put an end to continued attempts to defeat the course of justice through requests for postponements of cases for purposes of delaying their finalisation,” he said.
Malaba concurred with President Mnangagwa that cases of violence should be speedily dealt with by the courts.
“The people rightly expect courts to deal decisively with cases of violence that have arisen in the country of late. The twin evils of violence and corruption in society must be addressed effectively without hesitation because failure to do so would undermine the socio-economic development taking place in the country,’ he said.
New Ziana
