Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed eight new judges to the High Court bench in a move expected to reduce the backlog of cases at the court, local online newspaper, the Herald reports.

Among those appointed are six men and two women. They are expected to take their oath of office in Thursday before Chief Justice Luke Malaba at the constitutional court in the country’s capital Harare.

“I can confirm that the President has appointed eight High Court judges and they will be sworn into office at a ceremony set for Thursday (today) in Harare,” Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza said.

Mnangagwa  was sworn into office last month, cementing his status as the leading candidate to succeed his 90-year-old boss Robert Mugabe, the country’s sole ruler since independence from Britain in 1980.