Kwekwe is currently grappling with 120 murder cases, Resident Magistrate Mildred Matuvi revealed.
In an address yesterday to local traditional chiefs and headmen, Magistrate Matuvi shared disturbing statistics on the pending number of murder cases in the region.
The revelation came after the chiefs raised concern over the high number of criminals who are spit back into communities by the legal system potentially impacting public safety.
The magistrate said that the Kwekwe station currently has a staggering 120 murder cases awaiting resolution.
“Kwekwe has 120 murder pending cases which is quite a huge number, as a station we have 190 cases in Kwekwe, Zhombe, Silobela, and Kwekwe Rural but we can only actively handle 80 cases as murder is dealt with by the High Court. So you find that because of that reason cases take longer to be finalized,” she said.
Matuvi said the High Court has exclusive jurisdiction over such capital offenses and that it sits on circuit in Midlands for a period of six weeks at a time.
“Murder cases are dealt with by the High Court and they come to the magistrate courts for purposes of remand whilst they await trial dates at the High Court. The challenge with murder cases is that the High Court sits for two weeks in January, May, and September so what it means is that for those six weeks, the whole Midlands Province has to be accommodated hence cases take longer to be finalized,” she said.
She said that individuals accused of murder frequently apply for bail at the High Court, which is sometimes granted after evaluation.
“Most of the people in these murder cases apply for bail at High Court which is sometimes granted. For example in the recent case of murder where two people were killed in one night some of the accused persons were granted bail by the High Court,” she said.
She said in the cases that they are mandated to deal with they are effectively working on them although sometimes they face challenges.
“In the cases that we are empowered to deal with, we are doing that effectively although the major challenge is that in cases like robbery sometimes they are poorly investigated and meaning there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute. We are always imploring on police to make sure they properly investigate,” she said.
The chiefs highlighted the necessity for additional sessions or resources to be allocated to the High Court to expedite the judicial process and prevent potential delays in administering justice.
The traditional leaders’ main concern was on the potential impact the delays and granting of bail to accused murder persons has on public safety.
Source Zimbabwe Situation
