Connect with us

National

JSC laments high staff turnover

Published

on

BY MANDLA TSHUMA

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has lamented a high staff turnover in the organisation which it says attributes to the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.

Advertisement

The Zimbabwean economy has been deteriorating over the years, with the local currency continuing to weaken against major currencies such as the United States Dollar.

Officially opening the 2024 legal year at the Bulawayo High Court on Monday, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza the JSC’s activities were not smooth sailing throughout 2023. “Staff turnover remained a cause for concern,” she decried.

“The economic climate adversely affected the remuneration levels for the majority of the members of the Judicial Service. That inevitably led to a high staff turnover, especially in the lower ranks of the organisation.”

Advertisement

Gwaunza implored the government to continue supporting the JSC’s initiatives to ensure that the conditions of service for members of staff involved in the administration of justice continue to improve.

“Retention of experienced employees is integral to the efficient discharge of the JSC’s constitutional mandate,” said Gwaunza.

“Whilst the sterling work done by the JSC through the Secretariat in supporting the courts and by extension the financial support provided by Treasury is acknowledged, improvement of conditions of service of the Judiciary as a matter of priority remains consistent with the ideal of promoting constitutionalism.”

Advertisement

She said while the JSC is grateful for the support rendered by the treasury during the period under review, the timeous and consistent disbursement of funds would assist in ensuring effective justice delivery for all, and the completion of the outstanding projects.

This year’s theme is: “The role of the judiciary in entrenching constitutionalism.”

In light of that, Gwaunza said judges and magistrates must be agents of constitutionalism through observance of the principles that guide the Judiciary in terms of sections 164 and 165 of the Constitution.

Advertisement

“Judicial officers are the gatekeepers of the constitution,” she said.

“It is therefore imperative that their conduct remains lawful and beyond reproach at all times. It is the only way that the public will retain confidence in the Judiciary. Where there exists the unfortunate scenario of judicial officers whose conduct is reproachable and is in violation of the provisions of the Constitution or the Judicial Code of Ethics in the case of Judges and the Judicial Service Regulations and the Magistrates’ Code of Ethics in the case of magistrates, it will be inevitable that the relevant disciplinary measures will be invoked.

She added: “There is the grim potential to undermine constitutionalism by condoning or legitimising unlawful conduct by judicial officers which erode the outlined fundamental values and principles of the Constitution.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National

Hwange unit 8 breaks down, deepening Zimbabwe’s power supply challenges

Published

on

BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

ZESA Holdings has announced that Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the national grid following a technical fault, a development expected to worsen Zimbabwe’s persistent electricity shortages.

Advertisement

In a statement released on Monday, the power utility said the unit would be out of service for ten days while restoration work is carried out.

“Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the grid due to a technical fault. The unit will be out of service for 10 days while restoration work is carried out,” ZESA said.

The company said Hwange Unit 7 remains operational, generating 335 megawatts (MW) to support system stability, while power generation at Kariba South Power Station has been ramped up with “careful management of water allocations” to compensate for the temporary shortfall.

Advertisement

ZESA apologized for the inconvenience and appealed for public understanding as engineers work to restore the unit.

Zimbabwe has faced recurring electricity supply challenges over the past two decades, driven by ageing infrastructure, limited generation capacity, and low water levels at Kariba Dam. While the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 in 2023 brought some relief, frequent breakdowns have continued to disrupt supply, forcing industries and households to endure prolonged load-shedding.

The latest fault at Hwange comes at a time when power demand is surging across the country, particularly during the hot season when air conditioning and irrigation systems increase pressure on the grid.

Advertisement

Energy experts say the outage highlights the need for greater investment in maintenance, renewable energy, and grid modernization to stabilize Zimbabwe’s power supply in the long term.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

National

Tsholotsho to host national commemoration of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe will on Thursday, this week,  join the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR), with national events set to take place at Tshino Primary School in Ward 5, Tsholotsho District, along the Tsholotsho–Sipepa road.

Advertisement

The global day, observed annually, aims to promote a culture of disaster risk awareness and highlight efforts to reduce vulnerability and build resilience in communities.

Speaking to VicFallsLive, Civil Protection Unit Director Nathan Nkomo said this year’s commemoration holds special significance for Tsholotsho, a district that has long struggled with recurrent flooding.

“The whole issue is to reduce, not to increase the occurrence of disasters. And by commemorating, that’s where we share ideas with other people,” Nkomo said.

Advertisement

He noted that Tsholotsho’s selection as the national host was deliberate, following the successful relocation of families who were affected by flooding at the confluence of the Gwai and Shashani rivers.

“It’s not by accident that we are commemorating in Tsholotsho. We have built 305 houses for people who were affected in the Spepa area, and we will be celebrating in style because we have managed to relocate them,” he said.

“Now we no longer hear of people being flooded in Tsholotsho because of that relocation. So, we will be celebrating in style for Tshini and Sawudweni.”

Advertisement

The relocations, carried out under government’s disaster recovery and housing programs, have been hailed as a success story in proactive disaster risk management.

Looking ahead to the cyclone season, Nkomo said funding remains the major challenge in preparedness and response.

“We cannot preempt to say there are challenges yet, but historically, since we’ve dealt with COVID-19 and Cyclone Idai, the issue of funds has always been critical,” he said.

Advertisement

“This year, we are dealing with cyclones at a time when even our development partners have dwindling resources. So, funding will take centre stage in our deliberations, to see how best we can respond with the little we have. The whole idea, when you go to war, is not the question of numbers, but of strategy and how to win.”

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is observed globally every October 13, but Zimbabwe’s national commemorations are being held later this year to align with local preparedness programs and community-based activities.

 

Advertisement

Continue Reading

National

“We are losing ground”: Counsellors’ demotivation threatens Zimbabwe’s HIV gains

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The men and women who have been at the heart of Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV — the primary health counsellors — say their morale has hit rock bottom as they continue to work without job security, inconsistent pay, and uncertain futures.

Advertisement

These counsellors, stationed across hospitals and clinics countrywide, form the backbone of the country’s HIV prevention and treatment programme. They handle testing, counselling, and patient follow-ups — ensuring those on antiretroviral therapy stay in care and that new infections are detected early.

But as Hwange West legislator Vusumuzi Moyo warned in Parliament, the system supporting these essential workers is “crumbling quietly.”

“Their salaries have been very erratic, sometimes going for months without pay,” Moyo told VicFallsLive after his parliamentary question to the Minister of Health and Child Care. “These people are the heartbeat of HIV management. They’re paid from the Global Fund, but payments have not been consistent, and the government has taken too long to incorporate them into the civil service.”

Advertisement

Currently, the counsellors are funded under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) — a donor mechanism that has kept thousands of Zimbabwean health posts afloat for years.

However, global aid shifts, including the ripple effects of the U.S. administration’s restrictions on foreign aid, have made their positions increasingly vulnerable.

Health Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora confirmed during a recent parliamentary session that staff bids had been submitted to Treasury for approval to absorb counsellors into the government payroll.

Advertisement

He said that while donor funding has decreased, both the U.S. Government and Global Fund have continued to prioritise support for human resources at primary healthcare level.

Still, for many of the counsellors — and for communities relying on them — the wait has been too long.

Moyo painted a grim picture of what’s happening in hospitals.

Advertisement

“If you go to referral hospitals like Forrester, you’ll find that about 90% of male ward patients are people who have defaulted on treatment,” he said. “It’s because counsellors are no longer motivated. They used to follow up with patients, call them if they missed visits, and make sure they stayed in care. But now, with no pay or recognition, there’s no incentive to keep doing that work.”

He warned that the country’s AIDS-related deaths are rising again, undoing the progress Zimbabwe had made in reducing HIV prevalence.

“Our statistics had been improving — even other countries were benchmarking our model. But now, it’s as if we’re back to the old days. You see people sick again, wards filling up, and that speaks to a system that’s failing quietly,” Moyo added.

Advertisement

Zimbabwe has long been recognised as one of Africa’s HIV success stories, cutting its national prevalence from over 26% in the early 2000s to around 11% today, according to research studies. Much of that progress was driven by a strong network of community-based counsellors who ensured people were tested, treated, and supported.

 

 

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage