Tomana Strips Off ZILOA Leaders Prosecution Powers

The Zimbabwe Law Officers Association (ZILOA) leaders Dereck Charamba and Mehluli Tshuma together with three other leaders saw their powers being stripped off Thursday.

Tomana removed the authority and powers to prosecute after charging ZILOA leaders with defying him, defying Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, physically blocking access to his offices and the courts without his authority and for withdrawing their services.

Before prosecution, the law officers are granted an authority to prosecute signed by the Attorney General.

“My constitutional mandate and duty to uphold the constitution of and the laws of Zimbabwe and in particular my duty to administer criminal justice, does not envisage a situation in which I would rely on a prosecutor of the predisposition….,” Tomana wrote in one of the letters served to the ZILOA leaders.

It could not be ascertained whether the letters had also been served on other ZILOA leaders including the organisation’s President Leopold Mudisi, Patrobs Dube, and Musekiwa Mbanje.

Tomana charged the five labour leaders early last month with misconduct and inciting prosecutors to boycott their work stations for two weeks in protest against poor salaries.

The prosecutors wanted to be paid salaries and benefits equal to those earned by
magistrates, who earn three times as them.

During their protest, the prosecutors staged demonstrations outside Tomana’s office and at magistrates’ courts around the country.

The strike was only called off after their employer, the Public Service Commission agreed to address their grievances.