Midlands special high court circuit records 98% conviction rate

The Midlands Special High Court Circuit has recorded a remarkable 98% conviction rate, successfully clearing 91% of outstanding murder cases, a milestone hailed as a major victory for Zimbabwe's criminal justice system.

Speaking at the ongoing National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) workshop in Bulawayo yesterday, National Prosecutor General Justice Loice Matanda Moyo attributed the achievement to new strategies designed to expedite prosecutions and reduce case backlogs.

"Our focus on Programme 2 Public Prosecution has yielded remarkable results. We have exceeded set targets every year," Justice Matanda Moyo said.

The Midlands High Court cleared 137 out of 150 pending murder cases, surpassing national targets well ahead of schedule. Justice Matanda Moyo noted that the organisation's quarterly clearance rate had climbed from 62.2% to 68.9%, culminating in a 74.2% clearance rate for the first three quarters of 2025.

"This is not an accident. Victory was achieved through a dedicated and disciplined strategy," she said, adding that the historic reduction in the backlog of murder cases was largely due to a specialised backlog elimination task force and focused circuits, exemplified by the Midlands High Court Special Circuit.

Justice Matanda Moyo described the success as "the power of collaboration" and a testament to the effectiveness of NPAZ's strategic reforms in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Zimbabwe's prosecution services.