Kanyeihamba to lead Zimbabwe mission
May 18, 2008
SUPREME Court Judge George Kanyeihamba has been nominated by the International Commission of Jurists to head judges on a fact-finding mission to anarchical Zimbabwe.
By Henry Mukasa
SUPREME Court Judge George Kanyeihamba has been nominated by the International Commission of Jurists to head judges on a fact-finding mission to anarchical Zimbabwe.
Kanyeihamba told The New Vision yesterday that he was happy about prospects to help Africa.
“If I can help Africa, I can never stop. I know even the Government is happy when its son is serving Africa,†Kanyeihamba said.
“When I was in school, I was a great admirer of president Robert Mugabe. I hope I can help that nation.â€
On April 26, the commission issued a statement expressing concern at the repression in Zimbabwe.
It said the country was gravitating to chaos. Its’ affiliate, the Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights had confirmed reports of violence against supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, arbitrary entry and seizure of equipment for rights bodies and threats to arrest their leaders.
“These violations, coupled with the tense electoral impasse and the uncertainty and despair bring the country a step closer to a complete overturn of the rule of law,†Martin Masiga, the senior legal officer of the commission’s Africa Programme noted.
The organisation reminded the government of Zimbabwe that as a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and several human rights instruments, it must ensure that the lawyers do their work without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.
In December 2004, Kanyeihamba led a team of judges to Kenya to investigate whether the Judiciary was independent.
The team discovered that the Judiciary needed to overcome the Executive’s legacy.
In January 2003, Kanyeihamba led lawyers to Swaziland to assess threats against judicial independence, the rule of law and the administration of justice.
The mission resulted from an Executive decision to disregard two Appellate Court rulings, an action that led to the resignation of the nation’s Court of Appeal.
In 2002, Kanyeihamba led a Commonwealth panel of judges to probe corruption in the Kenyan judiciary.
The team’s report led to a radical surgery of the judiciary, suspension of five out of nine Court of Appeal Justices, 18 out of 36 judges and 82 out of 254 magistrates implicated in corruption cases.
SUPREME Court Judge George Kanyeihamba has been nominated by the International Commission of Jurists to head judges on a fact-finding mission to anarchical Zimbabwe.
Kanyeihamba told The New Vision yesterday that he was happy about prospects to help Africa.
“If I can help Africa, I can never stop. I know even the Government is happy when its son is serving Africa,†Kanyeihamba said.
“When I was in school, I was a great admirer of president Robert Mugabe. I hope I can help that nation.â€
On April 26, the commission issued a statement expressing concern at the repression in Zimbabwe.
It said the country was gravitating to chaos. Its’ affiliate, the Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights had confirmed reports of violence against supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, arbitrary entry and seizure of equipment for rights bodies and threats to arrest their leaders.
“These violations, coupled with the tense electoral impasse and the uncertainty and despair bring the country a step closer to a complete overturn of the rule of law,†Martin Masiga, the senior legal officer of the commission’s Africa Programme noted.
The organisation reminded the government of Zimbabwe that as a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and several human rights instruments, it must ensure that the lawyers do their work without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.
In December 2004, Kanyeihamba led a team of judges to Kenya to investigate whether the Judiciary was independent.
The team discovered that the Judiciary needed to overcome the Executive’s legacy.
In January 2003, Kanyeihamba led lawyers to Swaziland to assess threats against judicial independence, the rule of law and the administration of justice.
The mission resulted from an Executive decision to disregard two Appellate Court rulings, an action that led to the resignation of the nation’s Court of Appeal.
In 2002, Kanyeihamba led a Commonwealth panel of judges to probe corruption in the Kenyan judiciary.
The team’s report led to a radical surgery of the judiciary, suspension of five out of nine Court of Appeal Justices, 18 out of 36 judges and 82 out of 254 magistrates implicated in corruption cases.