SOCIETY has been urged to shun using violence to solve disputes as this contributed to an increase in murder cases.
NOKUTHABA DLAMINI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Speaking during the official opening of the Hwange High Court Circuit in the coal mining town yesterday, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo said behavioural change was paramount in maintaining peace.
“Behavioural change is essential if we are to live together as a society in peace,” Justice Moyo said.
“Our people need to move away from the use of violence as a way of resolving disputes considering that some of these murders are committed during altercations which are very minor and insignificant.”
She added that domestic disputes and love triangles were the major causes of violence which led to death hence respect for life and use of dispute resolution mechanisms was important in curbing violence.
“Domestic disputes and love triangles are a cause of violent deaths. People who engage in love triangles should be alive to the fact that such lifestyles almost always result in tragedy,” Justice Moyo added.
“People are encouraged to use dispute resolution mechanisms that are available in our society both in terms of customary laws and the churches.”
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She said delays in accessing medical examinations were creating a backlog and hindering the expeditious handling of cases, prejudicing accused persons.
“A lot of cases that require procedure in terms of the Mental Health Act, clog the system for a long time and create a backlog partly because of the bureaucracy created by the provisions of this Act and partly because the cases are set down and when they are supposed to be heard they do not take off as the accused person at that stage exhibits symptoms of mental illness at the last minute,” she added.
Justice Moyo said some provisions of the Act should be revisited in order to simplify the process of medical examination which might curb the procedural delays.
The first term of the Hwange High Court circuit is expected to run for two weeks and will handle 12 murder cases out of the 48 reported in 2013.
