News / Local
New magistrates' courts for Emganwini, Cowdray Park
06 Feb 2022 at 06:54hrs | Views
THE Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is set to establish new magistrates' courts in Emganwini and Cowdray Park suburbs as they move towards decentralising the justice system and ensuring their key strategic plan of justice for all.
The two courts will be part of the JSC's move of constructing more court houses in residential areas so as to remove barriers to justice that include transport costs, with a similar project in Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Gweru.
According to the latest council report, the JSC has been granted sites for the two courts whose purchase prices will be determined by Government's 10 percent commonage, where the Government is discounted for public service amenities.
"Council on 1 September 2021 had resolved to sell Stand 16925 Nkulumane measuring 2000 square metres to the Judicial Service Commission for a Magistrates Court. Upon receipt of the offer, the JSC had indicated that the stand was situated deep within residential houses, with no demarcating roads or space in between and this posed a security risk to both the community and the Court operations (among other reasons).
"In view of the reasons they mentioned they therefore requested to be allocated an alternative site. An alternative site was therefore sought and the commission was agreeable to the site.
The alternative site was Stand 17453 Emganwini measuring 4188 square metres and that the purchase price of the stand be debited against the Government's 10 percent commonage entitlement," reads the report.
Relating to the Cowdray Park stand, the local authority reported that upon receipt of offer of the stand the JSC had initially indicated that the stand was too small to accommodate all essential facilities and buildings and they therefore requested for additional land.
"However, they indicated that the siting of the stand was acceptable to them as it was not butting residential stands but was within a commercial centre.
It had been therefore proposed that the JSC be offered additional land adjacent to Stand 26559 Cowdray Park which the commission had already been offered. The additional piece of land measured 3696 square metres in extent. This piece of land was to be consolidated with stand 26559 Cowdray Park.
The combined area now measured 5670 square metres in extent and was considered adequate to meet their needs," reads the report.
Commenting on the two purchases, JSC Head of corporate affairs Mrs Constance Rudo Makoni-Thodhlana said while historically courts were centralised and situated in the city centres they were now decentralising and moving to areas of residence where the people are located.
"The Judicial Service Commission is improving the justice by making sure that justice is accessible to everyone who requires to go before the court or anyone who requires any services that are offered by the courts.
"The benefits that are brought by the construction of courts houses in residential areas are that it saves time, it's convenient, it's cheap and also on our part we would have removed barriers to access to justice. It means anyone who has to attend to issues at the court at any given time can go there without any barriers," said Mrs Makoni-Thodhlana.
She said the new courts will not be just for Emganwini and Cowdray Park residents but will also be used by people in surrounding locations noting the court can now be accessed without the need for transport costs.
"We are hoping that by December we would be in a position to start the construction but also this is after we have engaged public works department which does the designs and then after that the project will commence," said Mrs Makoni-Thodhlana.
Speaking during the full council meeting, Bulawayo mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni commended the JSC for move to bring justice closer to the people.
"I would like to firstly commend this council for endorsing these high impact projects in Cowdray Park and Emganwini because having these magistrates courts in these suburbs will change the lives of the people of Bulawayo by reducing the distance that they are going to travel to access justice, which now be at their door steps," said Clr Mguni.
The two courts will be part of the JSC's move of constructing more court houses in residential areas so as to remove barriers to justice that include transport costs, with a similar project in Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Gweru.
According to the latest council report, the JSC has been granted sites for the two courts whose purchase prices will be determined by Government's 10 percent commonage, where the Government is discounted for public service amenities.
"Council on 1 September 2021 had resolved to sell Stand 16925 Nkulumane measuring 2000 square metres to the Judicial Service Commission for a Magistrates Court. Upon receipt of the offer, the JSC had indicated that the stand was situated deep within residential houses, with no demarcating roads or space in between and this posed a security risk to both the community and the Court operations (among other reasons).
"In view of the reasons they mentioned they therefore requested to be allocated an alternative site. An alternative site was therefore sought and the commission was agreeable to the site.
The alternative site was Stand 17453 Emganwini measuring 4188 square metres and that the purchase price of the stand be debited against the Government's 10 percent commonage entitlement," reads the report.
Relating to the Cowdray Park stand, the local authority reported that upon receipt of offer of the stand the JSC had initially indicated that the stand was too small to accommodate all essential facilities and buildings and they therefore requested for additional land.
"However, they indicated that the siting of the stand was acceptable to them as it was not butting residential stands but was within a commercial centre.
It had been therefore proposed that the JSC be offered additional land adjacent to Stand 26559 Cowdray Park which the commission had already been offered. The additional piece of land measured 3696 square metres in extent. This piece of land was to be consolidated with stand 26559 Cowdray Park.
The combined area now measured 5670 square metres in extent and was considered adequate to meet their needs," reads the report.
Commenting on the two purchases, JSC Head of corporate affairs Mrs Constance Rudo Makoni-Thodhlana said while historically courts were centralised and situated in the city centres they were now decentralising and moving to areas of residence where the people are located.
"The Judicial Service Commission is improving the justice by making sure that justice is accessible to everyone who requires to go before the court or anyone who requires any services that are offered by the courts.
"The benefits that are brought by the construction of courts houses in residential areas are that it saves time, it's convenient, it's cheap and also on our part we would have removed barriers to access to justice. It means anyone who has to attend to issues at the court at any given time can go there without any barriers," said Mrs Makoni-Thodhlana.
She said the new courts will not be just for Emganwini and Cowdray Park residents but will also be used by people in surrounding locations noting the court can now be accessed without the need for transport costs.
"We are hoping that by December we would be in a position to start the construction but also this is after we have engaged public works department which does the designs and then after that the project will commence," said Mrs Makoni-Thodhlana.
Speaking during the full council meeting, Bulawayo mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni commended the JSC for move to bring justice closer to the people.
"I would like to firstly commend this council for endorsing these high impact projects in Cowdray Park and Emganwini because having these magistrates courts in these suburbs will change the lives of the people of Bulawayo by reducing the distance that they are going to travel to access justice, which now be at their door steps," said Clr Mguni.
Source - The Sunday News
