By Dumisani Ndlovu
In a bid to provide greater access to justice and clear the backlog of cases in the Midlands Province, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) will deploy five High Court judges to preside over special circuit courts in Gweru and Gokwe this month.
“The third and last circuit is scheduled to run from September 9 to 27. This time, unlike the traditional High Court circuit which usually runs for two weeks, this time around it will run for three weeks,” said Provincial Public Prosecutor, Samuel Pedzisayi.
The judges are expected to preside over 150 murder cases out of the 308 pending in the province. A total of 90 murder cases are scheduled for trial in Gweru, while 60 others will be heard in Gokwe.
According to Pedzisayi, “All this is done in a bid to clear the backlog.” The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has introduced the Gokwe circuit to reduce the backlog of cases.
NPAZ spokesperson, Ms. Angeline Munyeriwa, said, “The police have already been roped in. They are on the ground serving witnesses with subpoenas to appear in court and locating accused persons. Witness quarters have been secured for both Gweru and Gokwe, and witnesses’ expenses and other logistics are also being finalized.”
High-profile cases scheduled for trial include that of ex-fugitive Peter Dube, facing two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and Cai Yulong, a Chinese national charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault following a mining dispute.
“We have set down 30 cases for each judge, hoping they will complete the cases within the three weeks. As you know, trials are not predictable as many issues may arise along the way,” Pedzisayi said.
