119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. Master to keep register of executors, tutors, curators and sureties. Sale of property otherwise than by auction. When Master may authorize subdivision of immovable property of minors. Disposal of minors’ property. Master may invest money of minors in purchase of immovable property in Zimbabwe. Records of Master’s office. Master to forward duplicates to magistrates. Liability of Master for costs of actions by or against him. Application of Act. Valuation of assets and property. Oath to be taken after valuation made. Meetings before magistrate or other authorized official. Certified copies of duplicate original documents admissible in evidence. Minister may make regulations. SCHEDULES FIRST SCHEDULE: Area for which Master’s Office is Office of Record. SECOND SCHEDULE: Forms. THIRD SCHEDULE: Form of Affidavit. AN ACT to consolidate and amend the law relating to the administration of the estates of deceased persons, minors, mentally disordered or defective persons and persons absent from Zimbabwe, and to provide for the control of moneys belonging to persons whose whereabouts are unknown. [Date of commencement: 5th July, 1907.] PART I P RELIMINARY 1 2 Short title This Act may be cited as the Administration of Estates Act [Chapter 6:01]. Interpretation In this Act— “Assistant Master” means the Assistant Master of the High Court referred to in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section three or any person performing his functions in terms of subsection (2) of that section; [Definition substituted by section 4 of Act 12 of 1997.] “magistrate for the district” means the magistrate whose court is situated within the district concerned or, where there is no magistrates court situated within the district concerned, the magistrate whose court is situated nearest thereto; “Master” means the Master of the High Court referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section three or any person performing his functions in terms of subsection (2) of that section; [Definition substituted by section 4 of Act 12 of 1997.] “Minister” means the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs or any other Minister to whom the President may, from time to time, assign the administration of this Act. PART II MASTER’S OFFICE 3 Master and other officers (1) Subject to the law relating to the Public Service, there shall be (a) a Master of the High Court; and (b) a Deputy Master of the High Court; and (c) an Assistant Master of the High Court at Bulawayo; and (d) such further Assistant Masters of the High Court and other officers as may be necessary for the proper administratio of this Act; whose offices shall be public offices and form part of the Public Service. (2) Subject to this Act and any directions the Master may give them, the officers referred to in paragraph (b), (c) and (d) of subsection (1) shall perform such of the Master's functions, whether under this Act or any other enactment, as the Master may assign to them. [Section substituted by section 4 of Act 12 of 1997.]