Class Action Law Suits in Zimbabwe

The Class Actions Act [Chapter 8:17] governs class action law suits in Zimbabwe. Learned scholar P Kanokanga, The Law of Costs in Zimbabwe: Text, Cases & Materials (Burble, Durban, 2021) at pages 487 - 491 has a section which deals with the following:

• Parties to a class action
• What is a class action
• Security for costs in class actions
• Financial Assistance in prosecuting class action
• Costs in class action; and
• Taxation of costs in class actions

Notwithstanding the existence of the Class Actions Act [Chapter 8:17] in Zimbabwe which commenced on the 20th October 2000 there do not appear to be many decisions on class action law suits in Zimbabwe. Class action law suits are desirable in Zimbabwe. The courts have to date dealt with a number of cases which include but are not limited to:

• Law Society of Zimbabwe & Another v Minister of Finance 1999 (2) ZLR 231 (S)
• Commercial Farmers' Union v Mhuriro & Others 2000 (2) ZLR 405 (S)
• Stevenson v Minister of Local Government & Others 2001 (1) ZLR 321 (H)
• Petho v Minister of Home Affairs & Another 2002 (2) ZLR 436 (S)
• Communications and Allied Services Workers Union of Zimbabwe v Tel-One (Pvt) Ltd 2005 (2) ZLR 280 (H); and
• Hanzi v Zimbabwe National Road Administration & Others 2012 (1) ZLR 559 (H)