Zimbabwe: What Justice Are You Talking About?

The case of Jestina Mukoko and her fellow detainees keeps bouncing around the Zimbabwean court system like a cholera-infected hot potato---which appears to be the state's latest tactic in keeping them locked up. While the courts in Zim have a few independent-minded judges, such as the one that ordered the activists' release on Christmas Eve, the bench is largely stacked by Mugabe loyalists.

Earlier today, the case was once again postponed, with the activists ordered to remain in custody. From the Abductees Daily Update, compiled by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and distributed via email by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum:

"Back in the Magistrates' Court, Magistrate Olivia Mariga advises that she will postpone remand proceedings until such time as the matter in the High Court has been finalized. In the meantime, she advises that Mukoko and 8 others must remain in custody until their next appearance on 14 January 2009 as 'their release is not in the interests of justice'."

Clearly, the good judge has little concern for the fact that the activists' illegal abductions have little to do with the "interests of justice," either.

Nor did what came next: The ZLHR attorneys walked out of the court in protest over the next stunted pulled by the state attorney:

"Florence Ziyambi, on behalf of the State, then attempts to have the matter of Dhlamini and others considered by the magistrate, despite the fact that they are not present in court, their lead lawyer (Alec Muchadehama) is likewise not present, and their matters having, the day before, been postponed to 7 January 2009."

What do you do when the institutions meant to uphold the law are full of people actively subverting it?

I certainly admire the resilience of ZLHR...I would imagine that dealing with the justice system in Zimbabwe feels something akin to beating your head against a brick wall.

In a brief bit of other news from Zim...

A government spokesman told the press that Zimbabwean President-Dictate Bobby Mugabe plans to spend his annual month long leave "working on the structures of an inclusive government." This comes after he fired 12 ministers and deputy ministers from his ZANU-PF party, in what's being interpreted as "the clearest sign yet that Mugabe may act on his threat to form a government without Tsvangirai's MDC." He made what he claims to be "temporary" cabinet appointments earlier today.

Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are being advised to form groups to travel to South Africa to purchase basic commodities, and the government deferred the opening of schools---ostensibly to allow for the grading of last year's examinations, but actually likely because the teachers refuse to work...because they aren't being paid.

And, of course, the cholera and the famine---hop on over to Mr. Kleinman's blog for the latest on that depressing bit.

And by the by, I'm wondering if the folks over at SABC got a "talkin' to" from the powers-that-be in South Africa---the South African Broadcasting Company is typically a good source of timely information on Zimbabwe, but lately it seems they're just repeating all of the nonsense that Zimbabwe's state-run newspaper spits out. Thank goodness for Voice of America.

[Photo from AP: Zimbabwe's Lawyers for Human Rights march to  Parliament in Harare Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 calling for the release of Jestina Mukoko.]