Judge hits out at political leaders

A High Court judge has condemned the bombing last month of the independent ‘Daily News’ printing press and violent attacks on other news organisations, the paper reported on Wednesday. Opening the legal year on Monday in Masvingo, 200 km south of the capital Harare, Justice Moses Chinhengo said: “In the case of the ‘Daily News’ its printing press and the premises housing it were reported bombed. These are acts of violence this nation does not need and cannot afford.”

He condemned political violence and called on the country’s political leaders to stop fanning and encouraging lawlessness. President Robert Mugabe has publicly threatened to deal violently with opponents of ZANU-PF. Chinhengo becomes the first senior judicial officer to publicly voice his concern at the current high level of political violence in Zimbabwe, the newspaper reported.

Chinhengo said he believed that judges should speak out. But in doing so, they must be careful not to drag the judiciary into unnecessary controversy. Last month there was a public outcry when the Judge President, Godfrey Chidyausiku, openly criticised Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay for passing a judgment against lawlessness on commercial farms.
Gubbay, with the full consent of the other four Supreme Court judges, publicly reprimanded Chidyausiku.
Gubbay has since allegedly been forced to resign by the government in a move which has created more acrimony.