Midlands High Court Circuit handles 50 murder cases in a week; as the province has the highest murder cases in Zimbabwe

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA

HARARE – The Midlands High Court Circuit, specially created to address the backlog of murder cases, handled 50 murder cases in one week, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) reported. 

Image: iStock

The circuit was established through a request from the Prosecutor-General Loice Matanda-Moyo to the Chief Justice, Luke Malaba. It includes sittings in Gweru and Gokwe. 

A court circuit system refers to a court (in this instance the High Court) that sits in more than one place in a given jurisdictional area (Zimbabwe).

As of early this year, the Midlands province faced a daunting backlog of 500 murder cases. The NPAZ highlighted that the majority of these cases stem from conflicts among artisanal miners, often involving lethal weapons such as knives, machetes, and digging tools. It stressed how they choose to resolve disputes through murderous ways. 

The Midlands province leads Zimbabwe's ten provinces in murder cases, with 90% involving such weapons.

During the week, the Gweru High Court, staffed by three judges, addressed 34 murder cases, while the Gokwe court, with two judges, handled 16 cases. The oldest case dated back to 2016.

"The successful handling of 50 murder cases in a single week is a significant achievement for the Midlands High Court Circuit," the NPAZ stated.

Severe sentences were issued to deter future crimes, including a life imprisonment term in Gweru, two 30-year sentences, two 25-year sentences (Gweru), and three 20-year sentences—one in Gweru and two in Gokwe.

"These severe sentences serve as a strong deterrent to potential offenders and demonstrate the court's unwavering commitment to justice and the preservation of human life," the NPAZ emphasized.

Prosecutor-General Matanda-Moyo praised the collaborative efforts of the Chief Justice, judiciary, NPAZ, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Law Society of Zimbabwe, witnesses, relatives, and the community for helping meet such a tough deadline. 

"The establishment of the special court circuit has been instrumental in reducing the backlog of murder cases in Midlands Province. When the court deals only with such cases, it means justice will be delivered much faster to the families of the victims and may act as a deterrent to any other individuals with such intention," the NPAZ concluded.