The call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intensify the anti-graft crusade seem to be facing obstacles as the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has proved to be incapacitated and has scant resources to deliver its mandate, the Mail and Telegraph has learnt.
Among a cocktail of abnormalities, the NPA is facing eviction from their head office following the acquisition of the building by Zimbabwe Open University, a senior official has revealed.
The offices are located at Corner House in the capital.
Appearing before a parliamentary portfolio committee on Justice and Legal Affairs on Wednesday, NPA director Solomon Siziva said the purchase of the building by ZOU was being facilitated by Treasury.
“Let me advise and request this respected committee that the NPA was issued an eviction order to vacate Corner house as from September 2018.
“The building was sold to Zimbabwe Open University by Old Mutual. The purchase is being facilitated by treasury.
“How can an organisation without a head office building, no vehicles for prosecutors to attend circuit courts, no offices to carry out paperwork and finally no computers to type court work perform,” he questioned.
He said the his institution had also approached Treasury with a request to be assisted in buying the same property but ‘kisses’ went to ZOU and Treasury favoured them ahead of NPA.
Siziva revealed that they owed Old Mutual a total of $638 000 in rental arreas as they had not paid a single dollar from 2015.
“NPA Head Office is on rented office accommodation from Old Mutual Properties. The NPA was since served with an eviction notice which expired on September 30 2018. We have an outstanding debt amounting to $368 000, the 2018 allocation was not enough to extinguish the debt,” he said
He said this was crippling the operations leading to dockets missing since they had no offices at the courts.
“Without offices, prosecutors cannot meet clients in private, the issue of security is very serious sometimes dockets go missing because of lack of offices. JSC will say this is our court, we run the courts,” Siziva said.
Siziva said NPA and JSC ware equal but JSC was getting a bigger budget allocation than them.
“The NPA and the JSC are equal in the delivery of justice. The other partner is better resourced than the other (NPA). Even when it comes to the budget the NPA always get half of what its partner gets, for example the 2019 budget (JSC $26 million and NPA $8.4 million).
“Ladies and gentleman how will the NPA play its part in achieving the President’s vision through the prosecution of crime if not capacitated, JSC was given triple allocation of NPA.
“As the NPA, we appeal to this committee to convince treasury to consider our plight.
“We need capacitation in order to perform, we are unable to chase after development partners like other departments.
“Our position is unique , we have to safeguard our independence as outlined in the constitution so that we are not conflicted. It is our hope that our position will be clearly articulated,” he lamented.
The incapacitation of NPA is likely to affect the execution of criminal prosecutions.
The body is responsible for instituting and undertaking criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State, promoting a just and fair system for all persons approaching the courts and protecting the rights of the arrested and detained persons as provided for by the Constitution.
If the body is not allocated with adequate resources it will find it hard to execute its mandate thereby militating the call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intensify the anti-graft crusade.
-Mail and Telegraph