Zimbabwe Chief Justice Luke Malaba today directed all courts to postpone all weddings and trials and non-urgent hearings by not less than two months as one of the protection measures against the coronavirus pandemic which has already claimed one life in the country.
Broadcaster Zororo Makamba has died of the virus after being admitted to Wilkins Hospital on Friday.
He was the second person confirmed to have the virus.
The measures announced by the Chief Justice, which he said apply to all courts with immediate effect, are:
- Trials and non-urgent hearings must be postponed for a period not less than two months except urgent matters, bail application and initial remands.
- All weddings are cancelled. Parties may approach the courts for rebooking after a period of two months.
- No hearings will be done in chambers.
- In instances where hearings are held, these should be confined to parties involved in case the case and their legal practitioners. Those not involved in the case are discouraged from attending or coming to court.
- All surfaces at reception areas, registries, courtrooms and areas of potential risk should be regularly sanitized and fumigated as may be necessary.
- Members of the Judiciary Services Commission at courts, legal practitioners and litigants attending court sessions are required to;
- Be sanitized at the court entrance when going and outside the court
- Maintain a distance of at least two meters from the next person when attending court or registry offices.
- Disinfect any immediate surface area with the disinfectant and paper towels made available in court.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and running water or rub your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers for at least 20 seconds.
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