The government has canceled a controversial orientation program for judges that was set to be administered by the ruling Zanu PF party’s Chitepo school of ideology and the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
The decision follows a wave of public outrage and strong condemnation from civil society and legal professionals.
The training, initially scheduled for July 4 and 5 at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, was presented as a performance management initiative under the Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) system.
However, critics denounced it as a veiled attempt at political indoctrination, warning it threatened the country’s constitutional guarantee of judicial independence.
In a memo circulated to all heads of courts and copied to the Chief Justice and Chief Registrar, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) announced the cancellation of the program.
“Reference is made to previous communication regarding the capacity building training workshop on the Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) system that was planned for 4th and 5th at Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare,” the memo reads.
“The judiciary has been actively engaging with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) regarding the most appropriate programme, training material and resource persons for this performance management training initiative, consistent with the Constitutional requirement of the guarantee of Judicial Independence.”
“Following the initial consultations and continued discussions with OPC on the implementation framework, I wish to inform you that a decision has been taken to cancel the IRBM training, with the view of coming up with a program content administered by the judiciary and suitable, to the requirement for judicial independence,” read the memo
The memo further noted that judges would be informed of any new training arrangements in due course.
The Catholic Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe was among the first to voice alarm over the training’s content and political overtones.
“We, as the Catholic Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe, express deep concerns about the propriety of this so-called induction, which appears to be outside contemporary, salient, established legal and judicial principles in Zimbabwe and the region,” the association said in a statement.
“We collectively condemn the politicization of judges’ training and call on all arms of the government to respect the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law, which are embedded in the supreme law of the country.
“We affirm that the independence of the judiciary is not a cosmetic design but a deeply entrenched principle that forms the core of the justice system in Zimbabwe. Section 164 (1) of the Constitution clearly states that ‘The courts are independent and are subject only to this Constitution and the law, which they must apply impartially, expeditiously and without fear, favour or prejudice.’”
Top constitutional lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu welcomed the cancellation.
“The authorities have done the right thing. Judges training cancelled. Bravo!” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
Former Cabinet Minister and political commentator Professor Jonathan Moyo also weighed in, denouncing the original plan.
“‘Integrated Results-Based Management (RBM) Training Workshop for Judges Cancelled.’ Phew. It shouldn’t have been contemplated in the first place,” Moyo posted.
He added “Any ‘training’ of judges by any ‘trainer’, let alone by bureaucrats or political commissars, obviously smacks of a sinister agenda!”
Legal experts say this development reinforces the need for vigilance in protecting constitutional principles in the country’s governance structures.
