HARARE – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has sworn in 17 new magistrates as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen capacity and reduce case backlogs across Zimbabwe’s courts.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a tribunal to investigate whether Never Katiyo should be removed from office over allegations of gross misconduct. The tribunal will be chaired by retired judge Maphios Cheda and includes legal practitioners Tafadzwa Hungwe and Chaka Mashoko. The move follows a recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which advised the president in October 2025 that the allegations against Katiyo warranted a formal inquiry.

The High Court of Zimbabwe sitting in Mutare has overturned the conviction of public prosecutor Timothy Tafadzwa Katsande, who had been found guilty of defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Katsande was previously convicted by the Magistrates’ Court following allegations that he had inserted a false statement into an agreed statement of facts in a criminal matter involving a minor. The case had drawn attention within legal circles due to questions surrounding prosec