Growing atmosphere of lawlessness - law society

The Zimbabwe Law Society (ZLS) warned in its annual report that 2001 has seen a growing atmosphere of lawlessness in the country.

Sternford Moyo, president of the ZLS said: "It is with some sadness that I have to report that the year 2001 witnessed a growing atmosphere of lawlessness, characterised by politically motivated violence, threats of violence, extortion [and the] the undermining of formal dispute resolution mechanisms in labour matters."

He also criticised the government for threatening to reintroduce identity cards and said the suggestion was in "defiance" of a Supreme Court ruling and was a violation of the bill of rights.

Moyo voiced his concern about the state of the judiciary and said that conditions of service for judges remained "unacceptable". Referring to the resignation earlier this year of Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay, Moyo said Gubbay "was compelled, by sustained abuse, unjustified and defamatory attacks together with threats of violence to resign before his time was up".

He noted that it was not "surprising" that Justice Esmael Chatikobo resigned from the High Court to take up a judicial appointment in Botswana.

Moyo said that allegations that all white judges were biased and unfair were "defamatory and contemptuous". "General statements suggesting that all white judges do not protect the rights of the ordinary Zimbabweans or that new black judges are biased are unfair, defamatory and contemptuous," he noted.