Source: Sheriff of the High Court to launch e-auctions | The Sunday Mail
Nyore Madzianike
THE Sheriff of the High Court is set to introduce online auctions (e-auctions) for efficient and transparent disposal of goods attached by the courts under the ongoing transition to a digital judicial system being rolled out by the authorities.
The initiative, which is part of the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), is expected to enhance efficiency and accountability in the disposal of attached goods, which were previously sold through private auctioneers.
As part of the roll-out, a new Sheriff’s office and warehouse are presently being developed at the Harare Magistrates’ Court, paving the way for the Judiciary to take full control of the auctioning process.
The new system will allow the public to bid for seized assets through a secure online platform, reducing opportunities for corruption and malpractice.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Judicial Service Commission secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha said the introduction of e-auctions is a key step in the broader IECMS reforms, which are aimed at digitising and streamlining judicial operations.
Under this system, court-attached assets — such as vehicles, properties and other seized items — will be auctioned electronically, replacing traditional reliance on third-party auctioneers.
“At the Harare Magistrates’ Court, you may be aware that the Sheriff of the High Court is under the Integrated Electronic Case Management System,” he said.
“It also includes this system, where the Sheriff will be carrying out what are called e-auctions.
“These are auctions that are done electronically, where goods that would have been attached by the Sheriff, ordinarily they would have been sold by auctioneers, but now they will be sold through online auctions by the Sheriff.
“So, we are putting up some warehouses and offices that are going to be used by the Sheriff of the High Court to carry out the e-auctions, as part of the IECMS implementation processes.”
The new system, he said, will introduce transparency in the way attached goods are sold and eliminate irregularities associated with the manual auctioning process.
The Sheriff will directly handle auctions.
“A decision had been taken by the JSC that the entire processes of the Sheriff’s office must be under the IECMS, and it includes the auctioning of goods,” Mr Chikwanha added.
“But when it comes to the attachment and auctioning of executable goods that would have been attached by the Sheriff, they are then done manually.”
Meanwhile, the JSC is also making progress in rolling out the fourth phase of the IECMS at the magistrates’ courts.
Unlike the superior courts, the magistrates’ courts handle a significantly higher volume of cases, necessitating a phased approach to implementation.
“The fourth phase of the IECMS involves the magistrates’ courts and, as was indicated by the Chief Justice (Luke Malaba) when he delivered his address at the beginning of the legal year, because the magistrates’ courts are so big and wide, unlike the superior courts, we are going to do it in an aggregated manner; and we are going to do it province by province.
“We have targeted Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland North as the first two provinces in which we are going to implement the IECMS.”
He said training for magistrates, clerks of court, interpreters and other support staff is underway, ensuring that court personnel are equipped to handle the transition.The JSC, he added, has also begun installing essential technology and upgrading internet systems in courts to facilitate a smooth transition.
He added: “I am also aware, because the Prosecutor-General has approached us, that the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe has also started training prosecutors.
“Prosecutors are very key in the implementation of IECMS, whether in the High Court and especially in the magistrates’ court. So, we are going through that phase, which we hope will be done in a month.”
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