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President Mugabe

Lloyd Gumbo Harare Bureau
President Mugabe has signed the National Prosecuting Authority Bill into law, as government expedites re-alignment of existing laws to the new Constitution.
The Act establishes the National Prosecuting Authority Board and spells out its functions.

It also provides for the appointment of a National Director of Public Prosecutions and spells out the administration of the authority, conditions of service of its members and the transfer of persons from the civil service to the NPA.

Clause 4 provides for the setting up of the NPA to consist of the Prosecutor General appointed in terms of section 259 of the Constitution and other members.

Clause 5 provides for the setting up of an NPA board to consist of the PG as the chairperson, deputised by the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

Clause 6 sets out the functions of the board, while Clause 14 empowers the minister to give directions on matters of policy to the board.

The board will be responsible for administering and supervising the NPA and appointing and disciplining its prosecutors and other staff members.

In exercising its responsibilities, the board will be subject to general policy directives issued by the Minister of Justice, according to clause 14.

The board will submit annual reports to the Minister who will lay them before Parliament.

Former Attorney General, Mr Johannes Tomana has since been appointed the Prosecutor-General.

The NPA is established by the new Constitution on Section 258 where it says: “There is a National Prosecuting Authority which is responsible for instituting and undertaking criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State and discharging any functions that are necessary or incidental to such prosecutions.”

Government also published the Public Accountants and Auditors Amendment Bill 2014 that seeks recognition of people engaged in certain occupations related to accounting as professionals in their own right and have the right and obligation to be registered separately from public accountants and auditors.

It also seeks amendment of the Act to recognise certain bodies as “associate constituent bodies” of the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB) — that is the Institute of Certified Tax Accountants of Zimbabwe, the Institute of Administration and Commerce of Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa Association of Accountants who will represent the lower levels of the accountancy profession.