FACULTY OF LAW

DEPARTMENT OF PROCEDURAL LAW

CIVIL PROCEDURE (LOWER COURTS) (LB206)

2019 LEVEL 2.1

LECTURER: RODGERS MATSIKIDZE1

rodgersmatsikidze1982@gmail.com
rmatsikidze@mmlawchambers.co.zw
Cell:0775583333
OFFICE No 19, 1st Floor.

Consultation Hours will be displayed on the door of my office.

SYLLABUS

A. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

At the end of the semester it is expected that the students should:
1. Be a to demonstrate specialized and advanced knowledge and
understanding of the role of the civil justice system, dispute
resolution processes, and the operation of civil procedure rules;

2. Be able to apply this specialized knowledge of processes and

procedures to solve simple and complex practical civil procedure
problems;

3. Be abele to demonstrate an advanced understanding of the

policies and principles that underlie the Zimbabwean civil
justice system and proposed reforms if any.

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Lecturer’s Brief Profile: LLB(Hons), M.Phil-Civil Procedure (UZ) and P.hD(cand)-Civil
Procedure (Witwatersrand University-SA), Legal Practitioner, Notary
Public, Conveyancer,Business & Labour Consultant, Estate Administrator, Matsikidze and
MuchecheLegal Practitioners, Member-International Bar Association and Law Society of
Zimbabwe, Trustee -Law Society of Zimbabwe, Councillor-Council For Legal Education,
Chairman- Procedural Law & Director-Legal Aid Clinic & Attachment Office-University
of Zimbabwe,
Author- Alternative Dispute Resolution in Zimbabwe (2013), Mercantile Law in Zimbabwe
(2017), Coming books: Medical Law (2017), Civil Procedure and Practice in Zimbabwe
(2017), Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2 nd Edition, Natural Resources, Mining and
Environmental Law (2018). Editor-Rule of Law Journal –CALR &ICJ, Zimbabwe.

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B. COURSE OUTLINE

The following will be covered in this course: -

1. Introduction to Civil Procedure

1.1
Defining Civil Procedure
1.2
Distinguishing Civil Proceedings from other Proceedings.
1.3
The Purpose of Civil Litigation.
1.4
Principles Underpinning adversarial civil procedure
1.5
Jurisdictional principles: The doctrine of submission and
effectiveness, and actor sequitor forum rei principle.
1.6 Access to justice and civil procedure.
1.7 Principles of access to court
1.8 Locus standi in judicio
1.9 Prescription
1.10 Demand
CCUSTOMARY LAW COURTS

2. The Customary Courts

2.1 Local Courts

2.2 Primary and Community Courts
2.3 Establishment and jurisdiction of local courts
2.4 Rules of Procedure in local courts
2.5 Trials in local courts
2.6 Judgments of local courts
2.7 Enforcement of judgments of local courts
2.8 Appeals and reviews

D. THE FORMAL GENERAL LAW COURTS

3. Small Claims Courts and Tribunals

3.1 Jurisdiction
3.2 Composition of the court
3.3 Procedure and hearings
3.4 Principles of natural justice in hearings
3.5 Judgments
3.6 Enforcement of judgments
3.7 Appeals and reviews

4. The Magistrates Court

4.1 Composition and location of the Court

4.1.1 The role of the Magistrate
4.1.2 The role of assessors
4.1.3 The establishment of the Magistrates Court
4.1.4 The constitutional jurisdiction in terms of section 175 of
the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

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 4.2 The court officials
4.2.1 The clerk of court
4.2.2 The registry staffs
4.2.3 The messenger of court
4.2.4 The Provincial Magistrate

4.3 Jurisdiction and the Limits thereto

4.3.1 Monetary jurisdiction
4.3.2 Jurisdiction based on cause of action
4.3.3 Territorial/geographical jurisdiction
4.3.4 Liquid claims and liquidated claims
4.3.5 Counterclaims exceeding the jurisdiction of the
Magistrates Court.

4.4 Issuing and Service of Documents

4.4.1 issuance of court process
4.4.2 Services of court process

Action procedure
4.5 Summons commencing action
4.5.1 Key requirements for a summons
4.5.2 Proper citation of parties
4.5.3 Cause of action
4.5.4 Particulars of claim
4.5.5 Relief Sought
4.5.6 Costs of suit

4.6 Service of Summons

4.6.1 Manner of service
4.6.2 When service is effected
4.6.3 Who can receive summons validly?
4.6.4 Attempted service
4.6.5 Substituted Service

4.7 Notice of appearance to defend.

4.7.1 Effect of filing and failure to file a notice of appearance to
defend.
4.7.2 The timelines to defend.

4.8 Summary Procedures

4.8.1 Default Judgement

4.8.2 Consent to Judgment
4.8.3 Payment into Court
4.8.4 Exceptions to Summons

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 4.8.5 Special Pleas
4.8.6 Summary Judgment
4.8.7 Exception to Plea

4.9 Pre-trial Procedures

4.9.1 Requests for Further Particulars to Summons

4.9.2 Plea
4.9.3 Request for further Particulars to Plea
4.9.4 Reply
4.9.5 Close of Pleadings
4.9.6 Discovery of Documents
4.9.7 Pre-Trial Conference
4.9.8 Request for Further Particulars for Purposes of Trial

4.10 Trial Procedures

4.10.1 Set Down

4.10.2 Presentation of Evidence
4.10.3 Judgment

application procedure
4.11 Applications
4.11.1 Notice of application
4.11.2 Affidavits in support of applications
4.11.3 Notice of opposition and supporting affidavits
4.11.4 Reply and affidavits
4.11.5 Hearing of the application
4.11.6 The judgment and orders
4.11.7 Dealing with disputes of facts arising from application
procedure.

4.12 Interlocutory Procedures

4.12.1 Interdicts
4.12.2 Arrests tamquam defuga
4.12.3 Applications for attachments
4.12.4 Rescission of default judgments
4.12.5 Spoliation
4.12.6 Interpleader
4.12.7 Dismissal for want of prosecution

E ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS
4.13 Enforcement of Judgement
4.13.1 Warrant of Execution
4.13.2 Garnishee Order
4.13.3 Civil Imprisonment
4.13.4 Contempt of Court

F. APPEALS AND REVIEWS

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 4.14 Appeals and reviews
4.14.1 Right of Appeal
4.14.2 Procedure for Noting of Appeal
4.14.3 Execution of Judgment pending Appeal
4.14.4 Reviews

G. THE MAINTENANCE COURT

4.15 Application for Maintenance Orders

4.16 Opposing an application for a Maintenance Order.
4.17 Enforcement of Maintenance Orders
4.18 Variations of maintenance orders.
4.19 Appeals against maintenance orders.
4.20 Non-compliance with maintenance orders.

H. READING LIST

1. Rodgers Matsikidze- Notes on the email.

civilprocedurelb206@gmail.comand TSIME, and also
Rodgers Matsikidze’s powerpoint notes.
2. Constitution of Zimbabwe 20 of 2013
3. Customary Law and Local Courts Act, Chapter 7:05.
4. Small Claims Court Act
5. Magistrates Court Act, Chapter 7:10.
6. Magistrates Court (Civil Rules), Statutory Instrument
290 of 1980.
7. Maintenance Act, Chapter 5:09
8. C Theophilopoloulos, C M van Heerden, & A Boraine,
Fundamental Principles of Civil Procedure 3 ed (2015).
9. Mike Oelschig, Geoff Feltoe, & Ellen Sithole, ‘A guide to
civil procedure in the Magistrates Courts’ (1994) LRF.
10. Kevin M Clermont, Civil Procedure (2009).
11. Iain Currie & Johan de Waal, The Bill of Rights
Handbook 6 ed (2015) Juta.
12. B Goldin, & M Gelfand, African Law and Custom in
Rhodesia (1975).
13. T W Greene, Outlines of Roman law (consisting chiefly
of an Analysis and Summary of the Institute (new ed) (
14. S R Grubbs, & P North, International Civil Procedure,
World Law Group (2003).
15. Joseph Herbstein, Cilliers Louis de Villiers, Loots
LouisA C de Villlers van Winsen, Nel Cheryl,
ChristoffelHendrik, The civil practice of the High Court
and the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa 5 ed
(2009) Cape Town: Juta.
16. Maselis K Lenaerts, & K Gutman, EU Procedural Law
(2015) Oxford.
17. Robert L Maddex, 3 ed Constitutions of the World
(2014).

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18. Lovemore Madhuku, An Introduction to Zimbabwean
Law (2010) Weaver Press.
19. R W Millar, Civil Procedure of the Trial Court in
Historical Perspective (1952).
20. Tanja Penovic, Civil Procedure in Australia (2015)
LexisNexis.
21. Deborah L Rhode, Access to Justice (2004) Oxford
University Press.
22. R J Ross, The History of Cape of Good Hope and the
World Economy 1652-1835 (1989).
23. Sarah Staszak, No Day in Court: Access to Justice and
the Politics of Judicial Retrenchment (2015) Oxford
University Press.
24. Julie Stewart, , Ellen Sithole & Welshman Ncube, In
the Shadow of the Law, Women and Justice Delivery in
Zimbabwe (2000) Weaver Press.
25. Stuart Sime & Derek French, Blackstone’s Guide to
the Civil Justice Reforms, Oxford University Press,
(2013).
26. A A S Zuckerman & R Cranston (eds), Reform of Civil
Procedure: Essays on ‘Access to Justice’ (1995) Oxford
University Press.
27. Rodgers Matsikidze, The Civil Procedure in the
Magistrates Court of Zimbabwe. A denial of Justice to
Self-Actors? (unpublished M.Phil. thesis, University of
Zimbabwe, 2014).
28. Ellen Sithole, Towards a theory and practice of access
to civil justice for the poor in Zimbabwe: law and
dispute resolution in a pluralistic society (unpublished
thesis, University of Toronto, 1997).