Deputy Chief Justice Michael Musonda has acknowledged the demoralizing impact of operational challenges faced by the Judiciary in Mpika District, Muchinga Province. During his visit to Mpika subordinate court, Mpika local court, and Chitulika local court as part of his ongoing tour in Muchinga Province, Justice Musonda emphasized the need to address the deplorable infrastructure conditions affecting the subordinate and local court staff.
Justice Musonda expressed his concern about the state of the Mpika local court building, calling for renovations to create a conducive environment for serving the people. He also emphasized the importance of fencing the vast land at Mpika local court to prevent encroachment.
Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Justice directed the local authority and the District Commissioner’s office in Mpika District to acquire land for the construction of a new Mpika subordinate court. He noted that the current premises are in poor condition, with cracks in the building and an unstable roof.
Mpika District Commissioner David Siame pledged to engage with the local authority to ensure that land is allocated to the Judiciary. This move aims to bring development to the area and address the challenges faced by the Mpika District Judiciary.
Resident Magistrate Chisha Musonda of Mpika subordinate court also highlighted several issues faced by the Judiciary in the district. He pointed out the lack of office space and inadequate security measures, which have led to theft incidents. Magistrate Musonda revealed that thieves attempted to break into the offices, damaging the grill door at Chitulika local court a few months ago.
Insufficient courtrooms, a shortage of holding cells, and the lack of staff housing were also cited as significant challenges faced by the Mpika Judiciary.
Deputy Chief Justice Michael Musonda and his entourage visited Mpika District as part of his five-day tour of Muchinga Province, aimed at understanding and addressing the challenges faced by the judiciary in the region.
Efforts to improve the infrastructure, security, and overall working conditions in Mpika’s judicial institutions are essential for ensuring the effective delivery of justice and maintaining the morale of the dedicated judiciary staff serving the local community.
Zambia is in need of a constitution review to look at how it can enhance the independence of the judiciary among other national issues.
There a lot of issues this report from Mpika raises. The first is what constitutes a viable modern settlement? It starts with presence of a reasonable number of people living and working in the area who can be taxed by the local authority to pay for local public services up to a certain level. Does Mpika and indeed so many places that have been declared as municipal authorities have those people? I have been to Mpika. I saw a rural town with needless sprawl and covering a wide area leaving empty and undeveloped land between buildings. This makes provision of municipal services such as piped water needlessly expensive.