Law Society Of Zimbabwe Condemns "Brazen And Unprovoked" Attack On Obey Shava

The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) on Thursday, 06 July, issued a statement following the attack on one of its members, Obey Shava.

Shava was severely assaulted and left for dead by at least four unknown assailants on Wednesday evening in Harare. LSZ said:

The Law Society of Zimbabwe has noted with concern the brazen and unprovoked, violent attack on one of its members, Mr. Obey Shava of Shava Law Chambers. The attack is said to have occurred in Harare on the night of Wednesday, the 5th of July 2023.

The elaborate manner in which the attackers executed the attack is consistent with previous attacks on legal practitioners as a result of the execution of their duties as lawyers.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe is also concerned that violence against legal practitioners has continued to increase recently.

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A few months ago, another member, Mr. Kudzayi Kadzere, was also assaulted by the police while rendering services as a legal practitioner to his clients.

To date, his assailants have not been arrested and held accountable for their actions.

In another case, Mrs. Fadzai Traquino, the Director of Women and Law Southern Africa Research Trust (WLSA), was subjected to cyberbullying by a disgruntled litigant resulting from her representation of the litigant’s estranged wife in a custody dispute.

The cyber-bullying of Mrs. Traquino through social media platforms was uncalled for because it sought to associate lawyers with their clients’ cause.

Lawyers have a right and an obligation to represent their clients free from bullying or threats of violence against their person.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe is appalled by the increase in attacks and the use of violence against legal practitioners because these acts directly undermine the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe.

Furthermore, the timing of the attacks is worrisome, given the upcoming harmonized elections. Inevitably disputes will arise, and parties have a constitutionally protected right to legal representation of their choice.

In this regard, the chosen lawyers should freely practice their profession without fear, favour, or at risk of being associated with their clients’ causes.

Attacks such as on Mr. Shava create negative perceptions about Zimbabwe’s human rights record. We, therefore, call upon the police to diligently investigate all cases of violence against legal practitioners.

We call upon the police to apprehend Mr Shava’s assailants.

We once again call for the authorities to ensure the safety of legal practitioners, particularly now as the country prepares for the general elections scheduled for August 23 this year.

We further call on all the relevant authorities to respect the principles and practices which advance the rights of lawyers to freely represent their clients in line with the regional and international standards that Zimbabwe acceded to.

The Law Society of Zimbabwe remains committed to upholding justice and the rule of law.

More: Pindula News