Harare - Zimbabwe's legal system is being compromised by poor funding from President Robert Mugabe's government, which is struggling with a deepening economic crisis, a senior judge said on Monday.
High Court Judge President Rita Makarau said the government's allocation of funding indicated the judiciary was not sufficiently valued.
"We are also aware that the (justice) ministry's budgetary allocation over the years has been amongst the lowest, yet it houses critical institutions in the justice delivery system," Makarau said.
Makarau, who became Zimbabwe's first female high court judge president in July, warned the judiciary's independence could be compromised.
"It is not in the tradition of the judiciary to publicly speak on any issue including attention to needs... I am breaking that tradition briefly and for today only to agitate for better funding.
"It is wrong to make the judiciary beg for resources from central government," she said.
Makarau said meagre five Zimbabwe dollars per day witness fees were inadequate and brought the administration of justice into disrepute.
Standards in some of the country's prison cells had "fallen to inhuman and degrading levels" because of underfunding, she said.
A parliamentary committee has also criticised the government's failure to upgrade the country's overcrowded correctional facilities.