Tomana tipped to head NPA

Politics
ATTORNEY-GENERAL (AG) Johannes Tomana is tipped to clinch the position of Prosecutor-General (PG) at the independent National Prosecution Authority (NPA)

ATTORNEY-GENERAL (AG) Johannes Tomana is tipped to clinch the position of Prosecutor-General (PG) at the independent National Prosecution Authority (NPA), which came into operation on Thursday last week.

Report by Senior Court Reporter.

NPA is a body independent of the AG and Public Service Commission (PSC). Sources within the legal fraternity in the government said Tomana was tipped to land the post and that an announcement would be made after President Robert Mugabe’s swearing in this week. Sources said the AG will now be a government adviser without any involvement in prosecution.

According to the new constitution, the PG is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The PG must be a person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court and serves for only two six-year terms. A source said prosecutors now fall under NPA.

“We are now under NPA since August 1. All prosecutors nationwide no longer fall under the Attorney-General’s office,” the source said.

“We are now an independent body just like magistrates who fall under the Judiciary Service Commission.” The JSC became operational on June 18 in 2010 after the magistracy was removed from the PSC as the Judicial Services Act sought to put all judicial operations under one structure.

The Act was gazetted in 2007. If Tomana is appointed, the move is likely to cause outcry in progressive circles because of his alleged allegiance to Zanu PF.