​Kwekwe High Court Complex to Officially Open in November

Kwekwe — The long-awaited Kwekwe High Court and Magistrates’ Court complex is set to open by November, bringing High Court services to the city and significantly decongesting the Midlands legal circuit.

The multi-purpose facility, now at an advanced completion stage, will house an expanded Magistrates’ Court, a new High Court station, and the Office of the Sheriff.

The development further cements Kwekwe’s emergence as a key regional legal hub, complementing the recently established Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Law School.

Speaking on the sidelines of a judicial induction workshop in Gweru, Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Secretary Dr. Walter Chikwana, confirmed that structural work is largely complete, with contractors now finishing interior fittings and courtrooms.

“We started two years ago to construct a court complex in Kwekwe,” Dr Chikwana said.

“Major work is done, and contractors are now tiling and fitting the courtrooms. Before the end of the year, and latest around November, we must be able to open the station," he said.

Preparations to operationalise the complex are already advanced, he said.

Key administrative and court personnel have been assigned, while the Chief Justice, in consultation with the Judge President, has finalised judicial appointments for the new seat.

In a separate development, the JSC has rolled out mandatory defensive-driving training for all staff operating commission vehicles following a surge in road traffic accidents involving judicial personnel.

 The initiative follows several serious accidents across the country, including a fatal crash involving a Magistrate along Plumtree Road and another death involving a JSC employee in Binga, which resulted in loss of life, severe injuries and costly vehicle repairs.

Dr. Chikwana stressed that while third parties caused some of the collisions, the institution must take proactive steps to safeguard its personnel and assets.

“We made an institutional decision to protect our judges, judicial officers, magistrates, and staff,” he said.

“They must undergo defensive-driving training so that, in the event of an imminent hazard, they can apply those skills to protect themselves and safeguard property,” Dr. Chikwana said.

​Meanwhile, newly appointed High Court judges are undergoing an intensive induction workshop in Gweru to prepare them for the Bench.

The inductees, drawn from private legal practice, the Magistrates’ Courts, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Office of the Attorney-General, are being mentored by senior jurists from the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and High Court, alongside the Judge President.

“They come from diverse backgrounds and are being brought together to be conscientised on the job at hand,” Dr Chikwana said.

“It equips them so that when they commence adjudication, they are ready to administer justice seamlessly.”

A similar two-week orientation will follow shortly for recently appointed Labour Court Judges.