JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE __________ A Report Compiled by the Legal Resources Foundation, Zimbabwe WO 41/84 30th September, 2002 JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 2 _______________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS (To reach a topic or section quickly, click on the page number) General Introduction ............................................................................................................ 7 Section A – General Developments..................................................................................... 8 1. Intimidation and attacks upon judicial officers and lawyers ....................................... 8 Introduction............................................................................................................ 8 Attacks on judges................................................................................................... 9 General......................................................................................................... 9 Arrest of former judge Mr Blackie .............................................................12 Attacks on magistrates .........................................................................................14 Attacks on lawyers...............................................................................................19 2. Flouting of court or ders and contempt for the courts ................................................21 Introduction..........................................................................................................21 The cases of Chavunduka and Choto...................................................................22 The deaths of Chiminya and Mabika ...................................................................24 The farm invas ion cases.......................................................................................26 Eviction of commercial farmers in defiance of court orders ...............................28 Prison officers refuse to obey court orders ..........................................................29 Contempt of court by police: Capital Radio .......................................................31 Alleged contempt of court by Secretary for Information ....................................32 Alleged contempt of court by Mr Chinamasa......................................................33 The contemptuous statement ......................................................................33 The first contempt proceedings and the appeal..........................................34 The resumed contempt proceedings and the reaction to them.....................................................................................................34 JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 3 _______________________________________________________________ The judgment and the reaction to it............................................................36 Comment ....................................................................................................40 The Meldrum case ...............................................................................................40 Refusal by police to execute warrant...................................................................42 3. The politicisation of the police...................................................................................42 The Commissioner’s partisanship........................................................................42 Building a political police force ..........................................................................44 4. Attacks upon businesses and aid organisations .........................................................46 5. Repressive legislation ................................................................................................49 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act .........................................50 Public Order and Security Act .............................................................................51 Section B – Specific cases .................................................................................................54 1. The land cases ............................................................................................................54 Introduction..........................................................................................................54 The interdict case .................................................................................................54 The class action case............................................................................................56 The reconstituted Supreme Court changes its mind ............................................57 Setting aside the interdict.....................................................................................59 The majority judgment...............................................................................60 The minority judgment...............................................................................61 Criticism of the Majority Judgment...........................................................62 Concluding comments .........................................................................................64 2. The legal standing cases .............................................................................................65 The High Court judgment in the Stevenson case (Stevenson v Minister of Local Government & Ors ) ........................................................65 Introduction ................................................................................................65 JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 4 _______________________________________________________________ Comments on judgment .............................................................................68 The Supreme Court decision in the Stevenson case (Stevenson v Minister of Local Government and National Housing & Ors)...............................................................................................................70 The Tsvangirai case (Tsvangirai v Registrar-General of Elections & Others S-20-2002) ....................................................................72 The judgment of the majority (Chidyausiku CJ with the concurrence of Cheda JA, Malaba JA and Ziyambi JA).......................................................................................................73 The minority judgment (per Sandura JA) ..................................................75 Comment upon the judgments....................................................................76 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................78 3. The Harare City Council cases...................................................................................78 Introduction..........................................................................................................78 The High Court and Supreme Court order elections to be held ..........................79 The President intervenes......................................................................................80 Challenge to the President’s notice......................................................................80 The Supreme Court’s ruling ................................................................................82 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................83 4. The Nkala and Luphahla murders..............................................................................83 The murders .........................................................................................................83 Government reaction ...........................................................................................83 The arrests............................................................................................................84 The case of Fletcher Dulini Ncube ......................................................................85 Bail applications ..................................................................................................85 Suspects breach bail conditions ...........................................................................89 Police Commissioner lashes out at courts ...........................................................89 JUSTICE IN ZIMBABWE 5 _______________________________________________________________ Conclusion ...........................................................................................................90 5. The Chinhoyi Farmers case........................................................................................90 Introduction..........................................................................................................90 Pre-Trial Treatment .............................................................................................91 The Trial ..............................................................................................................93 6. Journalists charged with publishing falsehoods .........................................................95 Story about Presidential election results..............................................................95 Story about First Lady’s brother ..........................................................................95 False story about political killing ........................................................................96 Story about militants forcing teachers to pay