Charamba slams Muguti

Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet George Charamba has publicly rebuked recently dismissed permanent secretary Tafadzwa Muguti, accusing him of overstepping his authority by attempting to prohibit media coverage of traditional chiefs' courts.

Charamba's criticism comes just days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired Muguti, barely two months after his appointment, bringing an abrupt end to a controversial tenure marked by confrontations and criticism over his enforcement methods.

Writing on social media platform X, Charamba challenged Muguti's directive banning the filming and circulation of proceedings conducted in traditional courts, arguing that the former permanent secretary had unlawfully interfered with matters falling under the judiciary.

"Chief's courts are part of the court system of the country. They are part of the judiciary, and no member of the executive branch can set rules for those courts without breaching the doctrine of separation of powers," Charamba wrote.

He stressed that decisions concerning media access to court proceedings were the responsibility of judicial officers presiding over those proceedings, rather than officials serving in the executive arm of Government.

"No govt official can bar the media from covering court proceedings; only judicial officers in charge of those proceedings can," he said.

Charamba did not mince his words in condemning the directive, declaring: "The former PS was out of order!!!!"

His remarks have added another dimension to the controversy surrounding Muguti's short-lived tenure, raising questions about the limits of administrative authority and the extent to which Government officials can issue directives affecting judicial proceedings.

Zimbabwe's constitutional framework recognises the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, with each arm of Government expected to exercise its functions without improperly interfering with the responsibilities of the others.

Traditional chiefs' courts form part of the country's recognised judicial structures, making the regulation of their proceedings a matter governed by the applicable legal framework and judicial authority.

Charamba's intervention suggests that Muguti's directive was issued without the authority necessary to regulate media access to such proceedings.

The public rebuke is particularly significant given Charamba's senior position in the Office of the President and Cabinet, where Muguti previously served as a permanent secretary.

Muguti's dismissal on Wednesday followed a turbulent period in office during which his approach to enforcing Government directives attracted widespread criticism.

Among the incidents that generated controversy was a widely circulated video showing Muguti ordering police officers to arrest a vendor with a disability during an enforcement operation.

His involvement in demolition exercises and other enforcement activities also attracted public scrutiny, with critics questioning the manner in which some operations were conducted.

Although the Government has not established a public link between those controversies and his dismissal, Muguti's departure has not brought an end to questions surrounding decisions taken during his brief tenure.

Charamba's latest comments have instead placed renewed attention on the legality of Muguti's directives and the importance of respecting constitutional boundaries in the exercise of public authority.

The dispute also raises broader questions about transparency in traditional courts and the media's role in reporting on proceedings within Zimbabwe's justice system.

While access to court proceedings may be subject to lawful restrictions, Charamba's position is that such decisions cannot be imposed unilaterally by executive officials.

With Muguti now out of office, the controversy surrounding his attempted ban on media coverage of chiefs' courts could become another defining episode of his brief and contentious period in Government.