Godfrey Chidyausiku dies in South Africa

FORMER Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has died at the age of 70 in South Africa, where he had travelled to seek medical treatment for an undisclosed illness.

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who also oversees the Justice ministry, confirmed the death yesterday, saying authorities were still awaiting further details.

"I have just received the sad news that he died two hours ago. We are yet to get more details," Mnangagwa told reporters.

A family representative, Maria Chogugudza, also confirmed the passing, indicating that relatives were still gathering information.

"Yes, we have just lost him today in South Africa. We are yet to be apprised of the whole issue. At the moment, we have just sent a family member there to establish what happened," she said.

Judicial Service Commission deputy secretary Walter Chikwanha said the commission had received initial reports of the death but was yet to be formally notified.

"We have information to that effect, but the commission has not been formally advised and we are trying to get the finer details. Try from the Office of the President and Cabinet, who were dealing with him," he said.

Chidyausiku reportedly travelled to South Africa for treatment after being admitted to a local hospital shortly after stepping down upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.

He served as Chief Justice for 16 years, having been elevated to the position during the height of Zimbabwe's land reform programme.

In his final days in office, Chidyausiku was embroiled in a succession dispute with the Justice ministry led by Mnangagwa over the process of appointing his successor. While the executive sought to amend constitutional provisions, the Chidyausiku-led Judicial Service Commission insisted on adherence to the law, which required public interviews. The standoff ultimately led to the appointment of Luke Malaba as Chief Justice last month.

Chidyausiku rose to the judiciary's top post from his role as Judge President, leapfrogging senior jurists such as the late Wilson Sandura to succeed Anthony Gubbay, who had been forcd out during the administration of Robert Mugabe.

Earlier in his career, Chidyausiku delivered the controversial Mhuriro ruling, which overturned a Supreme Court order by Gubbay authorising the eviction of land invaders.

Beyond the bench, Chidyausiku had a long political career. In 1980, he was elected to Zimbabwe's first post-independence Parliament on a ZANU PF ticket and was immediately appointed deputy minister of Local Government. He later served as Attorney-General.

In 1999, he chaired the Constitutional Commission, whose draft constitution was rejected in a referendum — marking the first significant electoral setback for Mugabe's government since independence.

In his farewell address to the judiciary, Chidyausiku reflected on his tenure with a sense of nostalgia, closing a chapter on a career that spanned both law and politics during some of Zimbabwe's most defining moments.