Acting Deputy Prosecutor-General Mr Michael Reza told the
inaugural Magistrates’ National Conference held recently in Victoria Falls that
28 of the 46 prosecutors recruited since mid-last year had left the NPA.
“In the discharge of our duties, we have encountered some
challenges that somehow militate against the effective execution of our
mandate, which are identifiably the issues of high staff turnover and some
notorious legal impediments that we have experienced in our daily operations as
prosecutors,” he said.
“As regards resignations, we continue to lose seasoned
prosecutors at a high rate despite our best efforts to replace those that would
have resigned in search of the so-called greener pastures.
“In the second half of the year 2022, we recruited 46
prosecutors and to this date, 28 have resigned.
“Some even send their resignations from other
jurisdictions.”
The NPA, which typically spends years moulding “top-notch”
prosecutors, has since approached Treasury for assistance.
“As we strive to achieve quality justice, every effort
should be made to retain experienced prosecutors, and we are doing our best in
that regard, as both feet — that is, the bar (prosecutors) and the bench
(magistrates) — need to be anchored in legal wisdom and sound knowledge of the
law.
“Thus, we have forwarded our concerns to Treasury and we
are grateful for the support they have given us to date,” he added.
He welcomed Government’s efforts to improve prosecutors’
conditions of service, while proposing reforms to improve the NPA’s efficiency.
“I wish to salute those who continue to serve with
dedication and commitment to duty despite some financial constraints that they
may be encountering,” he said.
“This is patriotism par excellence.
“With regard to legal challenges, we have made a set of proposals
for the amendments to an assortment of legislation that, in our view, would
greatly improve our efficiency and effectiveness in the prosecution and timeous
delivery of criminal justice.”
The NPA, Mr Reza said, was grateful for the decentralisation
of courts, saying this will help reduce case backlogs and unclog the courts.
President Mnangagwa officially opened the Epworth Magistrates’ Court in Harare
recently.
Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Judicial Service Commission
Secretary Mr Walter Chikwana, High Court judges and other stakeholders attended
the conference. Sunday Mail
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