President Hakainde Hichilema held a meeting with the Magistrates and Judges Association of Zambia (MJAZ) at their request at State House yesterday. The purpose of the meeting was to listen to the challenges faced by the judiciary and to hear the association’s recommended solutions on matters affecting its members and the professional body.
President Hichilema emphasized the government’s commitment to dialogue as a means of resolving issues and moving the country forward. He highlighted the importance of open and constructive conversations in addressing national challenges and finding solutions that benefit all citizens.
“Our government firmly believes in dialogue as a precursor to resolving issues. We are committed to continuing this approach as a way to move our country forward,” President Hichilema stated.
The meeting underscores the New Dawn Government’s dedication to engaging with various sectors to ensure that their concerns are heard and addressed. By fostering a collaborative environment, the administration aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Zambia’s judicial system.
President Hichilema assured the MJAZ of the government’s support in addressing their concerns and reiterated his administration’s commitment to working with the judiciary to uphold justice and the rule of law in Zambia.
But what did the judges say? We are only listening to one person, the president.
As for challenges everyone has challenges.
Not just that @ Deja Vu, just what business do judges have going to meet the President over “challenges”?
This overt patronage of the Executive by the Judiciary further erodes public confidence in the independence of the Judiciary.
@His Masters Voice I couldnt have put it any better than you’ve done. Zambians need to be aware of our political system. We should all realise that the three wings of governance in a democracy need to be independent. This is to avoid dictatorship.
Our President (I’m not talking about HH but the presidency) has too much power. Far too much power some of which it has just usurped and that creates a mockery of democracy. He appoints judges, Senior Civil Servants and is in control of our freedom of expression via the Ministry of Information. Government also owns Dead NBC, Daily Mail and other mass media. That isnt democracy!
Judges and Magistrates. Only one of them is proud to wear African dress! A really brainwashed lot.
@HMV lessons in democracy are badly needed by the entire population of Zambia. We opted for democracy because we were tired of one man rule!
The executive’s power must be checked by the Judiciary and the legislature and the press but right under our noses, the executive has stolen all the powers.
And we are busy cheering.
Judges are more corrupt than Traffic Officers. How can they acquit Given Lubinda when all the evidence of him selling land in his constituency was there even the money in his account can be traced to the Chinese people that bought the land. This is grand corruption.
He call this imingalato, playing with pipo who elected him. I hope ZEDIANS have learnt their lesson, his party insults opposition, he arrests anyone who critices them, prevents ECL to stand
I hear hh is now blaming ZESCO engineers for loadshedding, shifting blaming from ECL to now Engineers… HH the best president ever in Zambia & Africa as whole
Maybe he is the best now you say BUT he will definitely not end that way I think he will end up in the same boat as LUNGU
ZESCO TOP BOSSES MUST GO THEN MAYBE SOME LITTLE CONIFIDENCE MAY BE RESTORED
Next it’ll be MPs led by the speaker and her deputies. We’re finished
There is a serious problem in the Judiciary. As HH has openly and repeatedly said, during his stay in detention on Edgar Lungu’s trumped treason charge, he saw people in remand prison who have not appeared before a court of law for, wait for it, 20 years. Now how do you deal with an issue like that besides taking the exceptional step of meeting the Magistrates and Judges Union? Judges-in-charge of judicial districts make periodic visists to prisons to check on inmates. So what’s the point of such checks if some cases can take as long as 20 years without being concluded? This is evidence that the problem starts with security of court documents, the running of registries right up to the judges themselves.
These meetings are highly unnecessary esp that they two groups are from separate arms of government. They challenges each faces is a means to ensuring checks and balances to moving the country forward ..esp that details are not being disclosed here. It’s a pity, the author here is addressing the bilateral meeting as though it was just Judges &Magistrates gathering to be addressed by president Hakainde Sammy Hichilema.
Such gatherings should be discouraged as it’s a breeding grounds for plans to only targeting political opponents of the UPND &HH using the justice system ..which is very unfortunate..
Zambia needs a tough clear-out of its rotten police force and judicial system .These are institutions with serious flaws that need to be held accountable.
How can this be done when freedom of speech is hindered by the police
Is Patrick Kangwa part of the Judiciary??
The next Govt must really work hard to panel beat our constitution so that if we have a novice like Hakainde in power, the public and opposition are protected through strong Govt institutions. As it is now, it is worse than Chipante pante. Three years into office, we can’t see a semblance of governance other than rhetoric. Hakainde doesn’t even know where to touch other than his pocket.
We see many PS special duties ..