Mat North fails to utilise courts $100 000 fund

The state media reports that Matabeleland North Province, which incorporates Bulawayo, failed to use $100 000, a fund that was allocated to it by the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) to fund priority projects.

This came out when the chief magistrate, Mr Mishrod Guvamombe, met JSC staff at the Bulawayo magistrates' courts on Friday.

Mr Guvamombe last week toured the province and expressed concern over the state of infrastructure at the courts and said it was a far cry from what it was supposed to be.

All the country's provinces were reportedly each allocated $100 000 to fund what they considered as priority projects following a countrywide visit by the secretary of the Judiciary Service Commission, Justice Rita Makarau.

However, officials said Mr Guvamombe expressed disappointment that the province had failed to utilise the money despite having dilapidated infrastructure.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Guvamombe confirmed that each province was allocated money to fund priority projects but could not be drawn into giving details, saying it was a policy issue.

"I cannot comment on that but all I can say is that there was a time when all provinces were allocated money to fund whatever they considered as priority projects," he said.

Officials from the Bulawayo magistrates' courts who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were shocked to hear that the administration had failed to use the money when the courts, especially outside Bulawayo, were in a dire state.

"We were shocked on Friday when in the meeting it was mentioned that $100 000 had been returned to Harare after the province failed to spend it. What is surprising is that some courts are in a sorry state especially in Binga and we wonder why the senior administration officer kept the money," said an official.

The official said some of the money could have been used to fund the drilling of a borehole at the Hwange magistrates' courts where there are perennial water problems.

"The staff was not happy following the revelation and after the meeting some members of staff looked for the senior administration officer as they wanted  an explanation but could not find him. Mr Guvamombe was also shocked by what he found in the  province.

"In Hwange staff members sometimes use toilets from neighbouring premises because of lack of water. Here in Bulawayo no magistrates' office has a refrigerator yet it is a necessity but the administration is always saying there is no money for such projects.

"They even failed to buy chairs last year as the supplier ended up withholding them because he was told that there was no money. There is only one Victim Friendly Court (VFC) despite several efforts to have a second one furnished. We were shocked to hear that the province was allocated money which it did not use when all these projects are outstanding," said another official.

Some of the officials said the courts were even failing to provide drinking water for magistrates in court. Justice Makarau could not be reached for comment but an official from the JSC office in Harare said the development could have been as a result of poor decision making by the province.

"Every province was given money more than a year ago to fund priority projects. Some used it to repair offices, court rooms and to drill boreholes and we do not understand why Matabeleland North did not use the money," said the official.