THE Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) intends to construct a High Court building in Gweru in the Midlands Province after the Commission was allocated land by the city council.
The Commission is working on a programme to decentralise the High Court to all the provinces.
The city will become the sixth to have a permanent High Court after Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo and Chinhoyi.
Gweru City Council also allocated JSC land for the construction of a Magistrate’s Court in Mkoba 5 suburb.
The JSC team was in Gweru recently where they were shown the two pieces of land availed by the local authority.
Presently, the Magistrate’s Court is operating from the Old Prison Complex.
Speaking during the official opening of the 2023 Legal Year in Gweru, Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese said the establishment of a permanent High Court in the province will cut travelling costs for litigants who are forced to travel to either Harare, Bulawayo or Masvingo to access justice.
Speaking during a tour of the stands, JSC assistant director of planning Mr Tapiwa Marerwa said they are excited to have land for the two courts.
JSC deputy secretary, Mr Sithembinkosi Msipa said they chose the Mkoba 5 open space area for the construction of the Magistrate Court because it is easily accessible to members of the public.
“The area is accessible to members of the public and is also closer to the main road. We want to bring the courts close to the people,” he said.
JSC head of corporate services, Mr Daniel Nemukuyu said the construction of both the High Court and the Magistrate’s Court will commence as soon as Government avails the required resources.
“We applied for land some years back and we are happy the council has now availed the land,” he said. – The Chronicle
