Background
Since 1981, the distinction between attorneys (the equivalent of England’s solicitors) and advocates (the equivalent of England’s barristers) has been regulated primarily by common law in Zimbabwe. Despite some conspicuous violations of this express rule, one statutory requirement that remains is that a practitioner may not lawfully hold themselves out as an advocate without having first worked for a minimum of three years as an attorney employed in an approved law firm. The lawfully established independent Bar in Zimbabwe thus comprises legal practitioners who have the prescribed minimum experience and are instructed by attorneys to provide advice and advocacy.
Members of the Bar do not form partnerships: they are sole practitioners organised into sets of Chambers regulated by the Bar Council of Zimbabwe. Advocates’ Chambers, Harare, is the most venerable set in Zimbabwe.
Members
You may contact any of the members via the various contact details on the list below
| Advocate | Contacts |
|---|---|
| E T Matinenga | |
| D S Mehta | |
| D Ochieng | |
| F Mahere | |
| F Girach | |
| T Magwaliba | |
| F Chinwawadzimba | |
| T.T.G Musarurwa | |
| G Madzoka | |
| E Donzvambeva | |
| B Magogo |
Services
Within their respective areas of expertise or preference (including commercial, criminal, family and public law), members of Advocates’ Chambers provide other branches of the legal profession with a full range of advisory and advocacy services. Members are routinely briefed to appear in all courts of Zimbabwe and before domestic and international arbitration tribunals. Members have been known to appear before the SADC Tribunal and the municipal courts of Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia. A number of them are available for appointment as arbitrators.
Languages
The language of record in the courts of Zimbabwe is English. However, various members of Chambers are proficient in French, Gujarati, Shona, Swahili, Ndebele and Zulu.
Who may instruct
It should be noted that advocates only accept instructions from other legal practitioners.
Contact
Advocates’ Chambers is located at:
4th Floor, Tanganyika House
23 Third Street
Harare
Telephone: +263 – (0)24 – 2252794/5; +263 – (0)24 – 2252846; +263-(0)24-2252782/3
Fax: +263-(0)24-2736300