Chapter 6:01
ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES
(a) when such person resides in Harare or the district thereof, to the
Master;
(b) when such person resides in Bulawayo or the district thereof, to
the Assistant Master;
(c) when such person resides in any other district, to the magistrate
for the district in which he resides or is at the time.
(2) If delivered or transmitted to the Assistant Master or a
magistrate under paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (1), such person
shall also furnish a duplicate or true copy thereof.
(3) The magistrate shall cause such duplicate or copy to be
examined and compared with the original and, if need be, corrected,
and shall authenticate such duplicate or copy with his signature, and
shall file and register the same, and shall forthwith transmit the
original deed—
(a) to the Master if the deceased person ordinarily resided at the
time of his death within the area defined in the First Schedule;
(b) to the Assistant Master if the deceased person ordinarily resided
at the time of his death outside the area defined in the First
Schedule.
(4) If, in the case of a will, codicil or other testamentary instrument
transmitted or delivered under paragraph (b) of subsection (1), the
district of Bulawayo is not the district in which the deceased person
ordinarily resided at the time of his death, the Assistant Master shall
transmit the duplicate or copy of such will, codicil or other
testamentary instrument authenticated as aforesaid to the magistrate
for such last-mentioned district, and such magistrate shall file and
register the same.
(5) If, in the case of a will, codicil or other testamentary instrument
transmitted under paragraph (c) of subsection (1), the magistrate to
whom such deed is transmitted or delivered is not the magistrate for
the district in which such deceased person ordinarily resided at the
time of his death, he shall transmit the duplicate or copy of such will,
codicil or other testamentary instrument, authenticated as aforesaid,
to the magistrate for such last-mentioned district, and such lastmentioned magistrate shall file and register the same.
(6) Every notary public shall, when called upon by the Master to
do so, transmit the original minute of any notarial will, codicil or
testamentary instrument passed before him to the Master.
(7) Any person failing to comply with the provisions of this section
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the appropriate penalty
prescribed in section one hundred and fourteena fine not exceeding
level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or
to both such fine and such imprisonment.
[Subsection amended by section 4 of Act 12/1997 and section 4 of Act 22/2001.]
9 Search for concealed will
Every judge of the High Court and every magistrate or justice of the
peace, upon information taken on oath being transmitted to him by
September 2000-09-27
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