Judges insist strike will go ahead

Maputo, 15 Jul (AIM) – The Mozambican Association of Judges (AMJ) has confirmed that its members will take strike action as from 9 August because the government has shown no willingness to solve the problems faced by judges.

Speaking to reporters in Maputo on Monday, the AMJ chairperson, Esmeraldo Matavele, said that the interest of judges had been seriously damaged with the implementation of the Single Wages Table (TSU) as from 2022.

“At that time the AMJ did all it could for the TSU not to go ahead in its original shape. It was a setback for the gains made by judges in terms of their remuneration”, Matavele said. “Unfortunately the TSU went ahead and was approved”.

He described the TSU as “an affront” which “has weakened Mozambican judicial power”.

A further concern of the AMJ is the financial independence of judges. “The time has come”, Matavele insisted, “for the Mozambican state to grant true financial independence to the judicial power”. The AMJ wanted to see the courts and the Attorney-General’s Office to become independent of the government.

In April, the AMJ had drawn up a list of demands, which was sent to the relevant authorities – but to date the AMJ has not received a reply, and nor has the government been willing to speak to the AMJ leadership.

Matavele added that the judges are also deeply concerned about their security. “The government must bring solutions, because the judges are not able to guarantee their own security”.

Matavele said judges will not end all their work, but would concentrate on the cases which the law defines as urgent.

“Judges will continue to hear cases where the suspects are under preventive detention”, he pledged. “They will hear cases of electoral crimes, and cases where injunctions are involved”.

The judges will also deal with cases of minors, including child support, and the authorisations required for children to travel abroad.

This was more of a go-slow than a full throated strike. “The judges will not stay at home, and they will not shut the doors of the courts, but we will drastically reduce our production”, said Matavele.

(AIM)

Pf/ (360)