By Flata Kavinga
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is set to introduce the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) at Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court from 1 October, as part of efforts to digitise court processes and improve access to justice.
Judicial Training Institute of Zimbabwe deputy head Livard Philemon, who is also the Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court station coordinator, said the system would allow members of the public to track their cases electronically and make payments online.
Philemon was speaking to this publication during an awareness march in Kwekwe ahead of the launch of the IECMS.
“The Integrated Electronic Case Management System, the IECMS, is a digital system that tracks the life of a case from its filing up to its disposition,” he said.
“We are now going paperless. We are moving from using paper, which we believe is going to eradicate corruption, improve efficiency and make justice more accessible to the community of Kwekwe.”
Philemon said the awareness campaign was aimed at ensuring that members of the public understood how the new system would work and the benefits of accessing court services digitally.
He said users would be able to access the system through their mobile phones, make payments online and track the progress of their cases without having to travel to court.
“Being able to track the progress or the status of your case wherever you are, in the comfort of your home, is one of the benefits,” he said.
Philemon said the digitisation programme was in line with the Government’s broader drive to move public services onto digital platforms under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
He said the awareness march was intended to reach different communities in Kwekwe and ensure that the transition to digital court services did not leave people behind.
Meanwhile, the construction of the new Kwekwe court building is nearing completion and is expected to further improve access to judicial services in the city.
Philemon said the new facility would also bring High Court services closer to people in the Midlands.
“The High Court has come to Kwekwe because the building is just a few months shy of the official opening,” he said.
