By: Moreblessing Mbire, Programme Officer, Harare Office
On 8 October 2025, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) in collaboration with academic partners, Africa University, Great Zimbabwe University Midlands State University, University of Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University convened a Symposium to discuss sustainability in clinical legal education programmes in Zimbabwe. The Symposium was attended by key stakeholders in the access to justice area, including the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, independent commissions and CSOs. The conference was held following a two-day clinical legal education workshop for law clinicians from the partner universities.
In her keynote address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs. V. Nyemba, highlighted the significant role played by university-based law clinics in bridging the gap between theory and practice and at the same time broadening justice delivery to vulnerable communities. She pointed out that the sustainability of law clinics must be understood in its many dimensions and collaboration is the cornerstone as no single institution can carry the responsibility alone.
“Sustainability requires institutional embedding, where law clinics are not treated as optional add-ons but as integral to university curricular; calls for financial resilience where state support is complemented by donor support, partnerships with private sector and innovative cost sharing models; demands operational foresight including adoption of modern technologies, sustainability of human capital where staff are continuously trained and mentored and supported because clinics will only ever be as strong as clinicians.” Mrs. V. Nyemba, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
The Executive Dean at the School of Law at Africa University, Dr Tendai Nhenga delivered an interactive presentation on the pedagogical value of integrating clinical legal education into the LLB curriculum drawing from her university’s LLB curriculum. Her presentation was complemented by testimonials from three students from Great Zimbabwe University, Midlands State University and Africa University who shared their experiences in the law clinic. The students’ presentations demonstrated the transformational value of law clinics in presenting an opportunity for law students to move from theory to practice and to learn by doing.
Representatives from the Law Society of Zimbabwe (Mr. Edward Mapara) and the Council for Legal Education, (Councillor Dr Friedrick Hamadziripi) presented on the sustainability of law clinics, sharing insights on effective strategies and collaborations that can ensure the long-term viability of university-based law clinics. Some of the strategies include the need for,
- Institutional integration, support and commitment to clinical legal education
- Diversified funding including income generation activities, community partnerships, collaboration with international development organisations
- Human resource development (continuous professional development for law clinicians)
- Integration of technology to provide legal services beyond immediate law clinic environment
- Strategic litigation and research – the need for law clinics to take up public interest cases to enhance relevance and credibility
- Standardised clinical legal education curricula and supervision
In his presentation, Mr. Daven Dass (President of the South African University Law Clinics Association and Senior Lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand) discussed key factors to consider in the sustainability of law clinics.
Stakeholders at the Symposium commended the law clinics on their work in improving access to legal services in communities and called for increased partnerships coordination between the law clinics and civil society organisations and the need for innovative ways to expand funding.
The Zimbabwe University Law Clinics Association expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for coming together to explore how collaboration with the university law clinics could be reinforced to attain sustainability.
The Symposium was held under RWI’s Zimbabwe Human Rights Capacity Development Programme with financial support from the Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe.
