Be fair in your dealings, chiefs urged Chief Fortune Charumbira

 

President of the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe Chief Fortune Charumbira addresses Matabeleland South Province traditional leaders at a seminar held at a bBulawayo hotel yesterday.Listening (left) is his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo.

President of the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe Chief Fortune Charumbira addresses Matabeleland South Province traditional leaders at a seminar held at a bBulawayo hotel yesterday.Listening (left) is his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo.

Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
CHIEFS should be impartial independent judicial officers who do not succumb to political pressure in handling cases before their courts, a magistrate said yesterday.

Matabeleland South provincial magistrate Maphios Willard Moyo told 26 chiefs from the province that they were supposed to be fair in all their dealings.

The magistrate said this at a workshop sponsored by the Legal Resources Foundation to capacitate chiefs on legal issues.

“We are here to support chiefs who preside over civil cases and it is important that they understand some basic legal procedures to help them deliver justice,” said magistrate Moyo.

He took turns together with the president of the chief’s council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, to explain how to summon offenders and to record court proceedings like at any other court in Zimbabwe.

“After this capacity building, we do not expect to see any appeals from the community courts as we have clarified all court processes. We hope this training will help you come up with thorough and fair judgements in all the cases that will be recorded in your courts,” he added.

Chief Charumbira said community courts were recognised by the Constitution and chiefs must realise that their courts are at par with other courts.
“Gone are the days where chiefs required a stamp from a magistrate to confirm their judgement,” said Chief Charumbira.

“Chiefs must never feel obligated to consult MPs, councillors or even politicians in handling their civil cases. None of the political figures should approach magistrates and judges to seek an explanation over court procedures, thus no one is allowed to interfere with your cases, not even district administrators,” he said.

Chief Charumbira urged chiefs not to be biased when dealing with matters involving close relatives or their friends.

“I advice that when you notice you have an interest in a case or maybe you are likely to benefit in the event a judgement is made, recuse yourself and ask another chief to handle the matter. It is important that people trust us as their traditional leaders and we must not jeopardise that by being corrupt,” he said.

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