Zimbabwe spent thousands of dollars on judges' wigs -- and people aren't happy

(CNN) The Zimbabwe government has come under fire after it emerged that it spent thousands of dollars on importing legal wigs from the UK for local judges, with critics lambasting the purchase as a colonial hang-up and a waste of money.

The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that the country's Judiciary Service Commission placed an order for 64 horse-hair wigs from Stanley Ley Legal Outfitters in London, at a cost of £1,850 ($2,428) per wig and totaling £118,400 ($155,000).

Wigs from the outfitter range in price from £457.50 ($599) for a standard barrister's wig, to £2,495.83 ($3,265) for a judge's ceremonial wig.

Stanley Ginsburg, the owner of Stanley Ley, confirmed to CNN that his company had sold wigs to Zimbabwe, but he said the actual number of wigs ordered was "no way near the number" quoted by the Zimbabwe Independent.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, left, shakes hands with the country's chief justice Luke Malaba.

Nonetheless, lawyers and rights campaigners have expressed anger at the purchase, arguing that the tradition of wearing expensive wigs represents a mismanagement of financial resources, and also fails to improve access to legal services for average Zimbabweans.