Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has said that former Local Government Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti had no authority to bar journalists from recording proceedings at chiefs’ courts, arguing that only judicial officers can impose restrictions on court coverage.

Charamba made the remarks in an X post responding to Open Parly ZW, which had questioned whether Muguti had the power to stop the media from recording proceedings at traditional courts.

He said chiefs’ courts form part of Zimbabwe’s judiciary and that no member of the Executive could impose rules on their operations without violating the principle of separation of powers.

“No government official can bar the media from covering court proceedings; only judicial officers in charge of those proceedings can. The former PS was out of order!” Charamba said.

He added that court proceedings constituted privileged communication for the media, which could cover them without hindrance except where restrictions had been imposed by the courts themselves.

Charamba said judicial officers had the authority to determine which cases could be heard publicly and which should be held in camera.

He added that any concerns over the conduct of proceedings at chiefs’ courts should be addressed by higher courts, which have the authority to call judicial officers to order.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired Tafadzwa Muguti on Wednesday, two months after appointing him as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, and replaced him with Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa amid growing concern about the demolition of people’s homes across the country.