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Mr Tomana

Bulawayo Bureau
Prosecutor-General Mr Johannes Tomana has urged prosecutors to execute their duties professionally and shun corruption so as to address the aspirations of Zim-Asset.

Mr Tomana, who was addressing prosecutors at Masvingo Magistrate Court during a National Prosecution Authority (NPA) board visit last Friday, said prosecution was the backbone of all civilised nations’ justice delivery system.

The Prosecutor-General noted the need to avail more furniture, stationery as well as Information, Communication Technology (ICT) at the Masvingo courts.

“I would like to congratulate you because of your commitment towards serving your country through law enforcement,” he said.

“This is despite the challenges that you are faced with ranging from equipment, stationery and transport. Your mandate as prosecutors is to combat corruption because the Government’s blueprint, Zim-Asset, will not succeed if corruption is allowed to prevail. The economic blue-print will continue to be just a pipe dream without your input.”

Mr Tomana urged prosecutors to claim their place in the justice delivery system and lead by example in fighting corruption.

“Charity begins at home,” he said. “You should first renounce corruption so that you justify your role in fighting crime. You should have relevance to the matrix of things in the country. NPA was created as a way to combat corruption.

“Your duty is to restore sanity and there will not be that restoration if nothing practical is done. You should demand your space by making yourself relevant and be able to sanitise the nation from corruption.”

The NPA board is on a nationwide tour of its stations around the country in order to have a practical appreciation of the challenges being faced.

The board has so far visited Chitungwiza, Rotten Row, Mbare, Chinhoyi, Mount Darwin, Mutare, Chipinge and Bindura magistrate courts.

Mr Tomana said prosecuting is different from other professions in that prosecutors take an oath instead of signing employment contract forms.

He said prosecutors have a constitutional mandate to enforce the law.

Mr Tomana was accompanied by secretary for human resources, Sikiwa Tirivanhu, NPA Secretary, Colonel Solomon Siziba and executive secretary for finance and administration, Major Levy Msipa.

Masvingo Chief Law officer, Lovack Masuku, led the board members in touring offices.

He appealed to the NPA board for vehicles for the prosecution department in the province and three stations, namely Chivi, Chiredzi and Gutu.