DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, on behalf of the Honourable Chief Justice of Zimbabwe and the entirety of the Zimbabwe judiciary, I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the 2023 Legal Year Opening Ceremony taking place here at the High Court of Zimbabwe in Mutare. I consider it an honour to stand before you and address you on this occasion. It is yet that time in our calendar where stakeholders involved in the administration of justice gather to mark the commencement of the legal year. The objective of this event is to create a platform through which the judiciary can account for its activities to the public from which it derives its mandate- by stating the achievements made during the course of the previous year and the challenges faced in meeting its constitutional obligations in the

preceding year. It is also a forum at which the Judiciary outlines its plans for the next twelve months.
I therefore extend a special welcome to all of you. The fact that you have found it befitting to attend this occasion is important and no doubt shows the confidence with which you attach to the administration of justice in this country.