By Tavita Natasha Mpala
Great Zimbabwe University Hebert Chitepo Law Clinic has embarked on a legal advice outreach program in Masvingo targeting both rural and urban communities.
The outreach program which commenced on the 4th of October in Sanangwe Mazare under Chief Musara will end on the 17th of October 2022 at Chief Bere’s area in Mashava with the institution educating communities on issues such as inheritance, maintenance, and domestic violence as part of the law school`s main objective to take law to the people in marginalized communities.
The GZU Law Clinic was set up to provide free legal advice, representation, draft court papers on behalf of clients in the, Magistrates Court, High Court, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court facilitated by students, candidate attorneys, junior legal practitioners whose work is supported by experienced lawyers. In cooperation with the government and the Department of Social Services, Great Zimbabwe University Law Clinic provides legal service for children in conflict with the law, persons with disabilities, women and people living with HIV and AIDS.
Speaking to Street Eye ZW, a GZU law School lecturer Lyn Manyika pointed out that the outreach program seeks to empower community members in marginalized areas with legal knowledge in issues that affect communities on a daily basis such as domestic violence and maintenance.
‘’Most people in the rural areas do not have access to justice because they lack resources that they require to pay for lawyers, nor do they have information on what they should do should they require legal assistance. As the Gzu law clinic outreach program we move around rural and urban communities, we’ve been to Chiredzi, Gutu, Masvingo Rural to mention just a few.”
Speaking on the side-lines of the outreach Chief Musara commended Great Zimbabwe University Law Clinic for bringing law to the people especially on issues such as inheritance and domestic violence which has become a cause for concern in the area.
Langton Gozo a village head in Sanangwe further commended Great Zimbabwe University Law clinic for spearheading such an initiative highlighting that cases of domestic violence and inheritance were on the rise in the area.
To qualify for legal assistance from the Great Zimbabwe University Law Clinic, you need to satisfy one or more of the following; be unemployed, a pensioner, be disabled and be a child in contact with the law.