By A Correspondent| In a dimly lit courtroom in Shamva, Zimbabwe, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi slammed his gavel, his voice heavy with disappointment.

The case before him, a seemingly straightforward murder trial, had unraveled into a stark illustration of the deep-seated flaws within the country’s legal system.

The accused, Tinotenda Mangenja, stood accused of killing Nomater Zveushe, his fellow imbiber, in a drunken brawl over a missing pint of beer.

Yet, the path to justice seemed hopelessly obstructed by a shocking lack of professionalism from the very institution meant to uphold it: the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Judge Mutevedzi’s ire was directed towards the prosecutor, whose negligence had cast a long shadow over the proceedings.

With nearly 20 witnesses present at the scene of the crime, the prosecutor had managed to record statements from only one, and that too, a police officer who offered little more than his name.

The judge’s words crackled with disbelief: “Out of that multitude, the prosecutor, in her wisdom, chose to rely on only three witnesses, one of whom is a police officer who came to court to say nothing other than telling us his name.”

This glaring omission wasn’t an isolated incident. Judge Mutevedzi’s frustration resonated with a broader concern: a worrying trend of prosecutorial apathy and incompetence plaguing the NPA.

He pointed out, “At times I stop to wonder if some prosecutors appreciate the enormity of their responsibilities in assisting the courts in the determination of the guilt or innocence of people accused of crimes.”

The judge’s closing remarks echoed a plea for reform. He urged the newly appointed Prosecutor-General, Loice Matanda-Moyo, to tackle this issue head-on.

“It must however be elementary that a prosecutor must not swallow hook, line and sinker that which the police bring to him/her,” he emphasized.

“Instead, it is the duty of the prosecutor to guide the police in the gathering of evidence necessary to successfully prosecute the case.”