HARARE, Mar. 25 (NewsDay Live) – Seventeen magistrates were sworn in yesterday in Harare as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) moves to strengthen capacity across the country’s courts.
Chief magistrate Vongai Guwuriro said the recruitment drive is aimed at increasing the bench to 300 magistrates. Zimbabwe currently has 268.
“The 17 magistrates will be deployed to stations nationwide as we continue to capacitate our courts and balance workload pressures,” she said.
“We are receiving a high volume of cases, so we are matching that demand with increased staffing. Another group of magistrates is also set to graduate soon.”
Guwuriro said the ongoing recruitment is also meant to offset attrition.
“Some magistrates are leaving the bench, so we are addressing those gaps to ensure courts remain fully operational.”
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She added that performance is closely monitored through daily, weekly and monthly reports.
“Each magistrate is expected to complete at least 60 cases per month. These tools help us assess productivity and accountability,” she said.
Of the 17 sworn in, 12 are male. Guwuriro said the intake reflects efforts to balance gender representation, as women currently dominate the lower courts.