Zimbabwe lawyers to march against Chitepo training for judges

Zimbabwean lawyers will take to the streets tomorrow in protest against what they describe as a blatant attempt by the government to undermine judicial independence and politicise the judiciary through a state-orchestrated "indoctrination workshop."

The workshop, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, has sparked outrage within legal circles and civil society. It is being organised by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and will be presided over by officials from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), the ruling Zanu-PF’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

Legal practitioners say the event is a thinly veiled effort by the executive to co-opt judges and ensure conformity to partisan interests, in violation of constitutional principles on judicial independence.

"This is an unprecedented attack on the judiciary," said one senior lawyer, who is among those mobilising the protest. "Bringing judges under the ideological tutelage of the ruling party is an outrage. It undermines the doctrine of separation of powers and erodes public confidence in the courts."

The protest, organised by various legal advocacy groups and members of the Law Society of Zimbabwe, is expected to draw participation from across the legal fraternity, including private lawyers, human rights defenders, and retired jurists.

They argue that the JSC - which is constitutionally mandated to uphold judicial professionalism and independence - is now being used as a political tool to serve the interests of the ruling elite.

"What is being disguised as an ‘induction workshop’ is, in fact, an ideological re-education camp designed to compromise judges and turn the courts into instruments of the executive," said another senior lawyer.

According to sources familiar with the programme, judges attending the workshop will be addressed by officials linked to Zanu-PF’s ideological school, which is known for promoting loyalty to the party’s political doctrine.

The involvement of the CIO - Zimbabwe’s feared intelligence agency - in a workshop for judges has further raised alarm, with critics warning that it represents a coercive element aimed at intimidating members of the bench into compliance.


It is not yet clear on the route of march.
"The Constitution guarantees an independent judiciary. Judges must be free from any form of political control or influence, direct or indirect," reads part of the petition.

The protest comes amid growing concerns over judicial capture in Zimbabwe, particularly following recent controversial rulings seen as favouring the government. Critics say the executive is increasingly using state institutions to suppress dissent and consolidate power, often under the guise of legality.

Efforts to reach the JSC for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

The workshop is set to proceed despite the uproar, with judges reportedly expected to attend under pressure.

Observers say the outcome of tomorrow’s march may set the tone for how legal professionals and civil society respond to what many see as a creeping authoritarianism dressed in the robes of judicial reform.