In an unprecedented, scandalous and brazen act of interference in the already largely captured judiciary, the executive branch of government, through the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has organised a controversial “induction workshop” for judges to be presided over by officials from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the ruling Zanu PF’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
The highly partisan and deeply ideological two-day workshop will be held at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on 4-5 July, which is on Friday ans Saturday.
It is coordinated by JSC secretary Walter Chikwana. In a memo to all heads of the courts – including the deputy chief justice, most senior judge of the Supreme Court, Judge President of the High Court and senior judge of the Labour Court, copied to the chief justice, dated 26 June 2025, Chikwana informs judges of the workshop which is officially billed as “training of judges on the integrated results-based management”.
“We write to advise that there is going to be a training by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) for all judges on the Integrated Results Based Management System (IRBM) relating to the performance evaluation of judges. The training will be held at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on 4 and 5 July 2025. The programme of the training is attached hereto,” Chikwana says in his letter.
“The training is the first step towards integrating the Judicial Service Commission into the government-wide performance management system based on the IRBM which also extends to judges. The Honourable Chief Justice has directed that all judges are expected to attend this training. We therefore request the Heads of Courts to inform all judges under their courts that they are required to attend the training. The Chief Registrar will get in touch with Heads of Courts regarding all the necessary logistical arrangements.”
Key speakers and presenters at the workshop include Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Chikwana, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya, chairman to the Public Service Commission Vincent Hungwe, Ministry of Finance permanent secretary George Guvamatanga, Secretary for Corporate for Governance Unit Allen Choruma, Chief Executive Officer of the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe Clever Ruswa, Principal of the Chitepo School of Ideology Ishmael Mada and CIO Director-General Fulton Mangwanya.
There will also be some other presentations by government officials from various ministries and departments.
In August last year, mayors, chairpersons, councillors and staff from all the country’s 92 local authorities attended a three-day training seminar at the Chitepo School of Ideology, Zanu PF’s ideological institute recently built to propagate its authoritarian and fossilised philosophy, thinking and values to support and uphold the ruling party’s political hegemony and perpetual rule, which have destroyed the country.
While Zimbabwe’s current struggles are multifaceted, Zanu PF’s authoritarian ideology and governance have ruined the nation and impoverished its people.
The party’s central ideology is mainly characterised by authoritarianism nationalism, and Orwellian control, which have hindered democratic development, exacerbating economic problems and social decay.
An ideological school run by a ruling party like the Chitepo School of Ideology serves as a tool for propagating the party’s specific political ideology and worldview, shaping citizens’ beliefs and loyalty, and legitimising the party’s rule.
The Chitepo ideological centre focuses on instilling a particular set of Zanu PF political doctrine, values and historical narratives, aiming to create a citizenry that supports the party’s agenda and goals – that is staying in power forever.
The workshop will have serious and far-reaching consequences for the already suborned judiciary, a key pillar of the state, together with the executive and the legislature.
The three arms of government are designed to be separate, but interdependent, working together to uphold the rule of law and protect citizens’ rights.
The legislature creates laws, the executive enforces them, and the judiciary interprets and applies them.
This separation of powers, along with a system of checks and balances, prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful.
This particularly helps to avoid overbearing influence by the executive. Executive overreach, or undue influence by the executive branch on the judiciary, undermines the principle of separation of powers and can erode public trust in the justice system.
This influence can manifest as attempts to undermine court rulings, attacks on judges, or attempts to interfere with judicial processes.
The executive may attempt to disregard or undermine court decisions, especially those that challenge its actions, which can lead to a perception that the judiciary is not a neutral arbiter.
The executive may also try to influence the appointment of judges to favour individuals who are aligned with its political agenda.
Publicly criticising the judiciary or specific judges can also create a hostile environment and potentially intimidate judges, especially in countries without adequate and strong independent media.
In some cases, the executive may attempt to pass laws that limit the judiciary’s power or ability to review executive actions.
If the executive can manipulate the judiciary, it undermines the principle that everyone is equal before the law and that the law is applied impartially.
In severe cases, excessive executive influence can lead to a constitutional crisis, where the rule of law and legitimacy of the government are called into question.
Judicial independence is a cornerstone of democracy and the rule of law, ensuring that the judiciary can act as a check on the power of the other branches of government.
A strong and independent judiciary is essential for protecting individual rights and freedoms and for resolving disputes fairly and impartially.
Courts should be free to interpret and apply the law without fear of political interference.
When the judiciary is seen as susceptible to political pressure, its independence is compromised, leading to a decline in public trust, weak checks and balances, and ultimately failure of functional constitutional democracy.
