Judges protest over poor salaries

A protest by Zimbabwean judges has exposed the high level of disgruntlement among the country's senior judicial officers.

The judges who have since 2011 been complaining about poor working conditions have now demanded a meeting with their employer, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

In a memorandum dispatched to Judge President George Chiweshe early this month, the judges outlined the topical issues they want the JSC to tackle during their proposed meeting with JSC chairperson Godfrey Chidyausiku.

The judicial officers have cited poor salaries, poor apparel, old computers, and outdated library and as some of their concerns.

They say the government's failure to adjust their salaries had left the judges depressed and frustrated.

The judges want the JSC to allocate a "relief motor vehicle" whenever a judge's personal issued vehicle is unavailable.

The judges charge that their offices need to be spruced up as they are working under "inhospitable conditions".

The JSC, the judges said must also provide them with research assistants to alleviate the heavy workload which they shoulder and replenish the judges library which is severely depleted of "relevant books and reading material".

In 2011, Chiweshe gave judges a dressing-down after reading the riot act to them over scruffy dressing and delinquency. Chiweshe said he was concerned that judges were wearing creased jabots.

But in response, the judges demanded to be supplied with suits to give a face lift to their dressing. The judges implored the JSC to supply them with three suits, five shirts or five blouses and three pairs of shoes per year.