In a move that has reportedly irked many members of the judiciary, Chief Justice Luke Malaba has directed all judges to travel by bus for an end-of-term retreat to Nyanga, Manicaland on Thursday.
According to ZimLive, Malaba has ordered the judges to use two designated buses for the trip – a 15-seater reserved exclusively for Constitutional Court judges, and a larger 67-seater bus for the rest of the judiciary.
This arrangement has drawn discontent from most of the judges, who would have preferred to drive themselves to the retreat location.
Several judges were seen being dropped off by their personal drivers before boarding the assigned buses around 11 AM on Thursday.
One disgruntled judge, who spoke to ZimLive, expressed the view that being compelled to travel by bus would be inconvenient for the members of the judiciary. Said the judge:
We each have our own peculiarities. Some need more comfort breaks than others, imagine having to stop the whole bus for whatever personal reason!
And while in Nyanga, does it mean when one needs a bit of fresh air or they want to do some sightseeing they must ask the bus driver to take them?
This bus travel impairs the personal dignity of judges. If at all a bus can be used, it should be available as an option to those that don’t want to drive.
A senior lawyer said putting all judges in one bus is a “grave security risk”. He added:
God forbid the bus crashes, what happens to the justice system in Zimbabwe? This was not a well-thought-out decision. Malaba and the JSC are treating judges almost like schoolchildren.
Judges are typically issued two vehicles and fuel coupons for their official use, enabling them to maintain a degree of independence and mobility in carrying out their duties.
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