Small claims courts set up countrywide

The Overseer of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has set up small claims courts countrywide to deal with small civil cases.

In a Statutory Instrument 34 of 2016 gazetted yesterday in Harare, the small claims courts will be found at Harare Magistrates' Courts while in Manicaland it would be in Mutare. The court will also be available in Mashonaland Central (Bindura Magistrates' Court), Mashonaland East (Marondera) and Mashonaland West (Chinhoyi).

In Matabeleland North the court will be in Bulawayo, Matabeleland South (Gwanda), Midlands (Gweru) and in Masvingo.

Jurisdiction has also been raised to $1 000 from the previous $250. A small claims court deals with claims for small sums of money which can be heard and decided quickly and cheaply.