The Africa Centre’s consolidoc fellow is spreading his wings again and is looking forward to an adventure full of firsts. Dr Luckmore Chivandire will be travelling to a country and broader region he hasn’t been to, he’ll present a paper on a topic that differs from his core research and he’ll attend lectures by renowned scholars he’s not seen in action before. And there will be time for sightseeing and to experience the midnight sun!
Norway’s Centre on Law & Social Transformation has selected Luckmore to participate in the international conference Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation. The event is connected to the course “Effects of lawfare: Courts and law as battlegrounds for social change” and will take place in Bergen, Norway, from 19 to 23 August.
The conference is organised by LawTransform, an institutional collaboration between the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) and the University of Bergen (UiB). Luckmore was one of the few participants who received funding to attend. As part of the funding requirements, he is working on a paper titled “The judiciary as a political tool: Examining judicial complicity in government lawfare in Zimbabwe”, which he will present at the conference.
While this topic diverges from Luckmore’s consolidoc area of research on corruption in the health sector, it aligns with his broader interest in governance. Lawfare refers to using legal systems and principles to achieve political ends, and is a significant barrier to ending corruption, as it often serves to repress anti-corruption crusaders. “When courts are complicit in such acts, they can obstruct justice, shield corrupt practices and intimidate or punish people or institutions that challenge corruption,” Luckmore says. “This undermines efforts to promote accountability and transparency.”
Luckmore says this often happens in his home country of Zimbabwe, especially if it implicates senior government officials. “Sometimes journalists, activists and even lawyers and judges face threats, including physical violence and arrests. For example, prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono spent 84 days in pre-trial detention in a maximum-security prison, sharing a cell with notorious criminals, after exposing a corruption scandal.”
The Zimbabwean government has also been accused of enacting restrictive and repressive laws to stifle discussions on sensitive topics such as democracy, good governance and human rights. In March this year, the government gazetted the Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Bill. “If signed into law, this bill will impose severe restrictions on NGOs, hindering their work in fighting corruption,” Luckmore said.
“Laws are also twisted and used against anti-corruption defenders,” he added. “The government targets civil society by restricting their access to funding, cancelling their registration or expelling international NGOs. Investigations are launched, and trials are opened against these groups for alleged national security threats. The effect is to silence those who dare to speak out.”
This approach severely undermines the fight against corruption by creating an environment of fear and repression. When NGOs and activists are silenced, corrupt activities go unchecked.
Luckmore says the conference programme is packed with informative and not-to-miss sessions, and he is looking forward to all of them. “I am particularly excited about sessions facilitated by renowned scholars such as Professors Lise Rakner and Siri Gloppen, who have published groundbreaking research. Attending sessions led by such esteemed scholars is a dream for me.”
The schedule also includes various social events, such as a walk over the mountain, guided morning runs in Bergen’s city centre and a swim in the fjord. Definitely a well-balanced excursion, and we’re looking forward to hearing all the stories!
For more information on the conference, see https://www.lawtransform.no/news/join-the-beex2024-10th-anniversary-of-bergen-exchanges-on-law-social-transformation-19-23-august/