HARARE, Jun. 6 (NewsDay Live) — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has presented recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba with an agricultural mechanisation package, less than a month after the country’s top judge left office.
Malaba, who retired on May 14 after reaching the mandatory retirement age, was received at State House on Friday, where Mnangagwa handed him a package comprising a tractor, Nissan UD truck, boom sprayer and planter.
In a statement posted on his official social media platforms, Mnangagwa said the package was in recognition of Malaba’s decades of service to the judiciary.
“It was my pleasure to welcome the recently retired Chief Justice, Luke Malaba, to State House today,” Mnangagwa said.
“In recognition of his outstanding service spanning decades, unwavering commitment, and exemplary legal leadership within the Zimbabwean judiciary, I presented him with an agricultural mechanisation package to facilitate his transition into post-retirement life.”
Malaba’s tenure was marked by controversy, particularly following his 2021 term extension under Constitutional Amendment No. 2.
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Before the amendment, judges were required to retire at the age of 70. The constitutional changes allowed judges to remain in office for up to five additional years, subject to medical fitness and presidential approval.
The amendment was introduced as Malaba approached retirement, prompting legal challenges from critics who argued that extending his tenure through a constitutional change undermined judicial independence and was tailored to benefit a specific office holder.
The Constitutional Court ultimately upheld the amendment, allowing Malaba to remain in office until his retirement this year.
During his tenure, Malaba presided over several politically significant cases, including election disputes and constitutional matters that frequently placed the judiciary at the centre of Zimbabwe’s political debates.
His retirement paved the way for Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza to assume the country’s highest judicial office.
Friday’s presentation of farming equipment represents one of the most substantial public rewards Mnangagwa has bestowed on a retired senior judicial officer.
