HIGH COURT JUDGE IN ZIMBABWE ACCUSED OF FAKE JUDGMENT
The Zimbabwean High Court is in the middle of a big scandal. Justice Never Katiyo has been accused of giving a fake judgment in a case that was not even heard in court. Many lawyers say this is not only irregular but also very close to fraud. The case is about a property fight between a Bulgarian state-owned company called Technoimpex JSC and a Harare businessman named Rajendrakumar Jogi.
The shocking part is that the judgment was given on 28 July 2025, before the case was even argued. The hearing for the matter is only set for 15 September 2025. There is also another application still pending which should have been heard before the main case. Yet the judge decided to write a judgment early and strike the case off the roll.
The judgment also falsely claimed that Advocate Thabani Mpofu appeared in court to represent Technoimpex and made submissions. It also listed lawyers D. Sanhanga and L. Uriri as representing other parties. But all of these appearances never happened. None of the lawyers went to court because the case was not yet due to be heard.
When lawyers from Sinyoro and Partners, who act for Technoimpex, saw the judgment, they were shocked. They immediately wrote to Mpofu to ask when he had appeared in the matter. They told him that they had lifted a judgment dated 28 July 2025 with his name mentioned. They asked on whose instructions he had gone to court.
Mpofu was surprised and angry. He wrote back to the Registrar of the High Court saying that it was not true that he appeared before Justice Katiyo or made any submissions. He said in his view the judgment was simply made up. He also said this was not the first time the judge had falsely put his name in court records. Mpofu said the issuing of a judgment for a case that had not been heard was a very serious irregularity and it destroyed trust in the court.
The law firm then went to Justice Katiyo himself and asked for answers. But the judge stood by his position and said the lawyers had actually appeared before him. This denial worried the lawyers even more. They decided to write to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on 31 July 2025 to raise the alarm.
In their letter to the JSC secretary Walter Chikwana, they said the irregularities by the judge were very close to criminal actions. They said it was impossible that there was an appearance before him and that his insistence was deeply worrying. They added that the removal of protection for their client without a hearing was not by mistake but was done on purpose to block due process.
The lawyers also pointed out that this was the second time Katiyo had given a judgment without a hearing. They said this raised strong suspicions of judicial bias and misconduct. They asked if there was an intention to defeat the rights of their client and demanded that the JSC investigate immediately.
The letter was also copied to Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Judge President Mary Zimba-Dube, and the Law Society of Zimbabwe. This means that the matter is now known at the highest levels of the justice system. With foreign investment involved and the country’s courts under scrutiny, the scandal has grown even bigger.
Many people are watching to see what will happen next. If nothing is done, it will show how weak the justice system in Zimbabwe has become. But if action is taken, it could send a strong message that abuse of power by judges will not be tolerated. This case has become more than just a property fight. It is now about the future of fairness, transparency, and honesty in Zimbabwe’s courts.
This article is sensational and disrespectful to the judiciary. Judges make administrative rulings all the time, and outsiders rarely understand the full legal context. Dragging Justice Katiyo’s name in public before the JSC finishes its review is irresponsible journalism. People must stop attacking state institutions every time they disagree with a ruling. The opposition and their lawyers are always quick to cry corruption when things don’t go their way. Let the courts handle their internal issues without political noise
The so-called scandal looks exaggerated. These are technical matters blown out of proportion by foreign-funded media houses to make Zimbabwe look bad. Real patriots don’t undermine the judiciary just to score political points. Another anti-government smear campaign. The judiciary is independent, and Justice Katiyo has served the nation for years. It’s wrong to judge him on social media based on one-sided letters from lawyers who lost a case. Respect the bench!
Absolutely shocking, yet not surprising. The piece lays bare how the judiciary has been captured. Justice Katiyo’s fake ruling is more than misconduct, it’s a betrayal of every Zimbabwean who still believes in the rule of law. This article deserves wide circulation; it shows how deep the crisis has become.