Judiciaries of Namibia, Zimbabwe sign cooperation agreement

Chief justice Peter Shivute and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Luke Malaba, on Thursday signed an agreement for cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was signed during an official visit to Namibia by Malaba and a Zimbabwean delegation.

Shivute said during a visit by the Zimbabwean delegation to the Supreme Court in Windhoek formal talks will take place on areas of cooperation between the Namibian and Zimbabwean judiciaries.

The talks will focus on judicial training, backlog reduction strategies, digital transformation and virtual courts, and strengthening bilateral relations, he said.

Shivute stated: “We are motivated by our shared interest in strengthening our relationship and respective judiciaries, recognising that the fundamental responsibility of a judiciary is to enhance and uphold the rule of law through independent and impartial adjudication of disputes.”

He continued: “Our collaboration is also aimed at promoting judicial accountability and transparency by setting up systems that will enhance court performance. By working together, we can support the courts, strengthen integrity mechanisms, promote human capital development and enhance public trust and confidence in our judicial systems, for the benefit of our respective nations and their citizens.”

Malaba said the purpose of the agreement between Namibia’s Office of the Judiciary and Zimbabwe’s Judicial Service Commission is to enhance the two countries’ judicial systems.

“Our consciousness of the duty to strengthen justice delivery is a positive step towards attaining the expeditious and effective dispensation of justice for the citizens,” Malaba said. “To achieve this, we must plan our actions within the strict parameters of constitutionalism and the rule of law on which the two jurisdictions are founded.”