HARARE, Zimbabwe — Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) Vice President Rachel Chibaya has been elected to the Executive Council of the Southern African Development Community Lawyers’ Association (SADC-LA), alongside LSZ President Lison Ncube, strengthening Zimbabwe’s representation in the regional legal body.
The two were elected during the association’s annual general meeting held in Mozambique, which concluded last week.
Their election gives Zimbabwe a greater role in regional efforts to promote the rule of law, judicial independence, good governance and the independence of the legal profession across Southern Africa.
SADC-LA is a voluntary association of law societies, bar associations and individual legal practitioners from the 15-member Southern African Development Community. It is the region’s only organisation representing lawyers across Southern Africa, serving as the collective voice of the legal profession.
The association was established in 1999 following an inaugural meeting in Maputo, Mozambique. Its headquarters were initially based in South Africa under the Law Society of South Africa before the secretariat moved to Botswana in 2003, where it was registered under the country’s Societies Act. The headquarters returned to South Africa in 2011, and the organisation was registered as a non-profit company under the South African Companies Act in July 2012.
Over the years, SADC-LA has played a key role in promoting constitutionalism, human rights, access to justice and the rule of law across the region. It has also supported regional initiatives aimed at strengthening judicial independence, legal reform and professional development for lawyers.
The election of Chibaya and Ncube is expected to enhance Zimbabwe’s contribution to the association’s work while giving the country’s legal profession a stronger voice in shaping regional legal and governance issues.
