SYDNEY MUBAIWA
BULAWAYO-The Midlands Special High Court Circuit has achieved a remarkable 98% conviction rate, clearing 91% of outstanding murder cases.
Speaking during the ongoing National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe workshop in Bulawayo yesterday, National Prosecutor General Justice Loice Matanda Moyo hailed the achievement as proof of the organisation’s new strategies to speed up prosecutions.
She said the Midlands High Court circuit cleared 137 out of 150 outstanding cases, helping surpass national targets well ahead of schedule.
“Our focus on programme 2 Public Prosecution has yielded remarkable results. We have exceeded set targets every year.
“Last year by the third quarter, just like this year, we had already exceeded the set targets. We have seen our quarterly clearance rate climbing from 62.2% to a staggering 68.9%, culminating in a 74.2% clearance rate for the first three quarters of 2025.
“This is not an accident. Victory was achieved through a dedicated and disciplined strategy.
“In the High Court, we achieved a historic reduction in the backlog of murder cases .This was a direct result of our specialised backlog elimination task force and focused circuits epitomised by the Midlands High Court Special Circuit which cleared 137 out of 150 cases, a 91 clearance rate with a 98% conviction rate. This is a power of collaboration,” she said.
