Mpanda District Magistrate’s Court in Katavi Region faces numerous challenges including the bad state of its premises and shortage of rooms for offices.
This being the case some members of its staff carry out their duties from a store. As if this inconvenience is not enough, one of the court’s toilet rooms has been turned into a store where the court’s documents are preserved.
That was revealed by the Mpanda District resident Magistrate, Mr Chiganga Ntengwa, during the Law Day celebrations held at the District Court in Mpanda Township.
According to Mr Ntengwa the district court currently faces critical shortage of office rooms to the extent that its staff forced to keep important documents in the toilet which has not been in use for sometime because it is filthy.
Court staff are also forced to do their daily activities in the storerooms because the court does not have sufficient rooms to accommodate all of its staff.
Mr Ntengwa explained that most of the court houses in the district were constructed during the colonial era and presently they are in a bad condition.
They need a major facelift. Most of them have been closed. He listed the primary courts which have been closed as including Kabungu and Mwese primary courts.
“We are facing a shortage of four magistrates for the moment but due to lack of rooms for their offices they have failed to come here “ he added.
According to Mr Ntengwa , due to the shortage of magistrate at Mpanda District Court now a magistrate is forced to handle 860 cases per year instead of 200.
However, he lauded the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Mpanda Office for allowing one of its houses at Katumba and Mishamo refugee settlements in the region to be used by primary court magistrates .
Also according to Mr Ntengwa , the UNHCR donated a motor vehicle , three computers and several office equipments to Mpanda District Magistrate’s Court.
On his part the Acting Katavi Regional Administrative Secretary , Mr Lauteri Kanoni said the regional government would deal with the listed challenges which the District Court faces at the moment.
By PETI SIYAME, Tanzania Daily News
