A HARARE man has engaged lawyers to compel investigations into Chief Nyamaropa, born Munyaradze Tivange, who is being accused of violating his subjects’ right to dignity.
Pritchard Tafadzwa Paradzayi, in his letter of demand, seeks the intervention of the president of National Council of Chiefs with regards Chief Nyamaropa's conduct.
In a viral video, Chief Nyamaropa is heard insulting a woman ordering her to remove her spectacles and calling her “stupid” at his court.
According to the letter dated November 27, written by Paradzayi’s lawyer Obey Shava of Shava Law Chambers and addressed to Chief Mtshane Khumalo, Paradzayi is requesting the council to investigate Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct in the discharge of his judicial duties.
“Our client advises as follows: that he is a Zimbabwean male adult with sufficient interest in ensuring that traditional leaders discharge their judicial functions in a judicious and acceptable manner that respects the rights of litigants,” the lawyers wrote.
“That on November 24, 2014, he came across an excerpt of a video of one of Chief Nyamaropa’s court sessions on YouTube in which Chief Nyamaropa appears to chide a female litigant. The excerpt of the video is accessible on the ZimNews Beat TV YouTube channel.”
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Paradzayi said Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct betrayed a contemptuous and demeaning attitude towards women and purveyed and perpetuated such attitude considering his position of influence and the fact that the incident is on tape and has been widely disseminated across various social media platforms.
“It gives an impression that the rights of women are not respected in traditional courts and can be violated with impunity,” his lawyers wrote.
“That Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct is not above reproach in the view of a reasonable, fair-minded and informed person like him and is an affront to the order and decorum that traditional leaders must maintain in all proceedings in which they preside over.
“That Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct falls short of the standard expected of traditional leaders to exhibit and promote high standards of judicial conduct at all times in order to foster public confidence.”
Paradzayi’s lawyers said Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct impaired his subjects’ dignity in violation of section 51 of the Constitution and violated their right to a fair hearing as enshrined in section 69 of the Constitution.
They said Local Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe was notified of their client’s complaint and the consequences of inaction on his part as well.
The lawyers said they were instructed to demand an investigation into Chief Nyamaropa’s conduct and taking of corrective action which shall be communicated to them within 10 days of receipt of the letter, failing which they were under strict instruction to institute litigation.