Eight vie for Tomana’s job




Johannes Tomana
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HARARE – The Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) has shortlisted eight candidates to be interviewed for the Prosecutor General’s (PG) job which became vacant following the sacking of Johannes Tomana (pictured) in June.

In an announcement yesterday, the JSC said the eight candidates would be publicly interviewed on Monday, August 21, in Harare at the Rainbow Towers Hotel.

“Following the invitation to members of the public and his excellency, the president, to nominate suitably qualified persons to be appointed to the position of Prosecutor-General of Zimbabwe, in terms of section 259(3) as read with 180(2) of the Constitution, the Judicial Service Commission received eight valid nominations,” the JSC said in a statement announcing the shortlisted candidates.

The lawyers that have been shortlisted are acting PG Ray Goba, deputy PG Florence Ziyambi, Law Society of Zimbabwe president Misheck Hogwe, Charles Chinyama, Wilson Manase, Jacob Manzunzu, Teclar Mapota and Peter Mufunda.

President Robert Mugabe will pick the new PG from a list submitted by the JSC after it finishes conducting its interviews.

Meanwhile, analysts have told the Daily News that the selection of a new PG is likely to be hard-fought given the public brawling by Zanu PF factions which marred the selection to choose the country’s new Chief Justice after the retirement of the late Godfrey Chidyausiku.

The selection had decidedly taken a factional tone.

Goba, veteran lawyers Ziyambi and Manase are said to be firm favourites in the race to succeed Tomana.

Manase, who is representing First Lady Grace Mugabe in her diamond ring suit against Lebanese Jamal Ahmed, came short of being appointed the Attorney General (AG) before Mugabe eventually settled for Prince Machaya.

Analysts have said Ziyambi knows all the nuts and bolts of the PG’s office given her experience and previous roles she has had in the old AG’s office.

Tomana was sacked in June for incompetence and abuse of office.

Before he was fired, he had been on suspension since July last year facing a slew of allegations which included criminal abuse of office and gross incompetence involving a number of cases that were before the courts.

The tribunal, which was headed by retired High Court judge Moses Chinhengo, completed its probe in February.

Tomana was appointed PG in November 2013, after the functions of the AG and the PG were split under the country’s new Constitution.

Until then, he was Zimbabwe’s AG, a position he had been appointed to by Mugabe in December 2008 when the country was still operating under the old Lancaster House constitution. – Daily News