By Chipo Gudhe
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the legal fraternity to ensure that affordable legal counsel is accessible to all citizens, saying law schools must produce problem-solvers and ethical leaders who serve their communities.
He made the call yesterday while officially opening the Midlands State University (MSU) Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Law School in Kwekwe, which is named after him.
“It’s not how many degrees your institutions churn out, or the number of papers you publish in reputable journals, but the day-to-day problems you solve within our communities and the economy,” said President Mnangagwa.
He welcomed the establishment of a Legal Aid Clinic at the law school, saying it would entrench a culture of service among law students.
“Affordable legal counsel must be accessible to all people. It’s pleasing that this Law School has incorporated a Legal Aid Clinic to serve the surrounding communities,” he said.
“This facility must, therefore, entrench a culture of service among law students, ensuring that by the time they graduate, they have a strong sense of patriotism, volunteerism, and duty to society.”
President Mnangagwa said the new law school was not only about producing lawyers, but also about shaping professionals who will defend justice, protect the vulnerable, and strengthen democratic institutions.
The MSU Law School boasts modern facilities including a moot court, seminar and tutorial rooms, a legal aid clinic, library, computer lab, and staff offices.
The commissioning of the law school coincided with the university’s 26th graduation ceremony which saw 6 849 graduands drawn from various faculties being capped.
