Tomana to be replaced

GOVERNMENT will appoint a new Attorney General (AG) by March to take over from Johannes Tomana, now the country’s Prosecutor General.
Pressure has been rising inexorably for government to speed up the re-alignment of the country’s laws to the new Constitution of which the AG, as the administration’s top lawyer, is central to the process.A number of names are being bandied around for the position among them Paul Mangwana, a former minister in President Robert Mugabe’s government and Wilson Manase, a lawyer practicing in Harare who previously worked for the AG’s office.
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Virginia Mabiza, said although the search was still on for the new AG, they hope to fill the vacancy by March.

“So far there has been no identification of a name yet, but we should appoint someone in the first quarter,” Mabiza said.
Former AG, Tomana, was appointed Prosecutor General under the new National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) created under the new charter. His department monitors all forms of prosecution on behalf of the State.

Concerns had been raised about the delay in the appointment of the new AG at a time when he or she is needed to superintend, among other things, the harmonisation of the existing laws to  the new Constitution.

But Mabiza said this should not be a concern as all the duties of the AG are being taken care of by the deputies namely Prince Machaya (litigation); Kumbirai Hodzi (legal advice) and Nelson Diaz (legislative drafting).

“The office is functional and the deputies are carrying on all functions as normal,” Mabiza said, adding that Florence Ziyambi, the deputy AG responsible for crime, was moving to join Tomana.

“The criminal arm of that office is moving to the Prosecutor General’s office and this is what has necessitated Mrs Ziyambi to move,” Mabiza said.