By Loyd Matare
Zimbabwe’s justice system is under severe strain, with just 80 judges expected to serve a population of more than 16 million people, raising fresh questions over whether justice is slowly being rationed by sheer capacity constraints.
Chief Justice Luke Malaba laid bare the scale of the crisis during the official opening of the 2026 Legal Year, admitting that the number of judges and magistrates has failed to keep pace with both population growth and rising litigation.
“Zimbabweans are an enlightened people who increasingly turn to the courts to resolve disputes,” Malaba said.
“Yet it is not ideal that a population of over 16 million relies on a paltry 80 judges and 250 magistrates.”
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Over the past decade, the judiciary has expanded court infrastructure across the country, opening new magistrates’ courts and establishing additional High Court seats.
However, this decentralisation has not been matched by a corresponding increase in judicial officers, leaving existing judges overwhelmed.
While courts recorded impressive case disposal rates in 2025, the Chief Justice warned that the misalignment between workload and staffing levels is fuelling delays and placing judicial officers under what he described as “unbearable pressure”, with potential consequences for both the quality of justice and the health of judges themselves.
Statistics released by the Judicial Service Commission show a steady rise in both civil and criminal cases, driven by increased economic activity and growing public awareness of legal rights.
More people are going to court but the bench has remained largely unchanged.
Malaba acknowledged that emergency measures including extraordinary circuit courts and aggressive case clearance initiatives have helped keep backlogs in check, but stressed that these are stop-gap solutions, not a substitute for permanent capacity.
“The number of judges and magistrates in post must be dramatically increased,” he said, warning that without urgent recruitment, reforms driven by technology and performance management may not be enough to prevent the system from buckling.
