THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has apologised to private doctors over delays they encounter at the hands of court officials when summoned to testify as witnesses.
The Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe
Association (MDPPZA) on Wednesday wrote a letter to the NPA complaining about
the way their members were treated at the courts.
“On many occasions medical professionals have become
reluctant to deal with courts as State witnesses because of the blatant delays
they encounter at the hands of court officials. Doctors are at times required
to give oral evidence, unfortunately they may be forced to warm the court
benches for long hours while waiting to do so,” wrote MDPPZA secretary-general
Cleto Masiya to the NPA.
“This is detrimental to their ethical duties of serving
suffering patients in their respective clinics or hospitals taking cognisance
of the gross understaffing in many healthcare facilities. This is different
from a scenario where medical practitioners are the accused persons.”
MDPPZA president Johannes Marisa also raised similar
concerns in his weekly column published in NewsDay on Thursday, prompting the
NPA to react.
Yesterday the NPA apologised to the doctors in a letter
signed by an A Kumire from the National Inspectorate, Training, Legal Reform,
Research and Anti-corruption Unit.
“The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe sincerely
apologises for the discourteous poor and insensitive treatment you were
subjected to when you attended court at Harare Magistrates Courts (Rotten Row)
as a witness and you were kept in attendance for six hours,” Kumire wrote.
“Our standard operating procedures for officers in the
Magistrates Courts, High Court and Supreme Court provide that ‘the importance
of witness in the criminal justice system can never be over-emphasised’.
Witnesses who come to testify in cases must be treated with all the courtesy
and respect which they deserve.”
“Remedial action will be taken through our National
Inspectorate, Training and Anti-corruption Unit. We assure you that every
measure will be taken to prevent a recurrence of this most disturbing episode.”Newsday
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