This Monday (14), the various district courts in Nampula province began a special trial campaign aimed at responding to more than 17,000 pending cases, transferred from last year to 2025.

The initiative aims to reduce the backlog of cases, many of which were not tried due to the destruction and paralysis of several courts in the last months of 2024.

Quoted by Rigor newspaperThe spokesman for the Nampula Provincial Judicial Court, Victor Vilanculos, said that the campaign trials would take place throughout April, May and June. The sessions are being held in the criminal sections of the district courts throughout the province, including the Nampula City Judicial Court.

"There is no fixed target, but we know that we have more than 17,000 cases pending. This campaign will allow us to speed up trials and tackle this problem," explained Vilanculos. "The difference is that, instead of judging only two or three times a week, we're going to increase the frequency of the sessions."

To get around the limited physical space, tents have been set up in the courts, allowing several chambers to operate simultaneously. On normal court days, only one section uses each room, significantly reducing the pace of proceedings.

Vilanculos also said that one of the causes of the lengthy process is related to the difficulty in contacting those involved.

The spokesperson pointed out that criminal cases usually start with the Public Prosecutor's Office or the police, and that the contact details of those involved can change over time, making it difficult to notify them and keep cases moving forward. That's why he called on the public to collaborate: "We ask everyone with ongoing cases to keep their phones active and, whenever possible, visit the courts to find out. Often, cases don't move forward because we can't locate the parties involved."

(Photo DR)