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Zimbabwe Judge orders retraining for magistrate

by Staff reporter
23 Aug 2024 at 06:32hrs | Views
The High Court reviewed and found that a Harare magistrate improperly convicted a reckless kombi driver, Munyaradzi Ronde, of a lesser offense of negligent driving, resulting in an inappropriate sentence. 
Ronde had driven the wrong way down a one-way street, hit two vehicles, and continued driving before being arrested. Despite the serious nature of the offense, the trial magistrate convicted him of negligent driving instead of the more serious charge of reckless driving.
The regional magistrate, upon reviewing the case, noticed the errors and referred it to the High Court. 
Justice Faith Mushure confirmed the mistakes, corrected the conviction to reckless driving, and sent the case back to the trial court for resentencing. 
The High Court also ordered training for the trial magistrate due to the significant errors made in the case.
Justice Mushure emphasized the need for adequate reasoning in judicial decisions, highlighting that the trial magistrate's failure to provide sufficient reasons for the verdict constituted a miscarriage of justice. 
The case was remitted for proper sentencing based on the more serious conviction of reckless driving.

Source - The Herald