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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
PROSECUTOR-General, Johannes Tomana has called on prosecutors to execute their duties professionally and shun corruption so as to address the aspirations of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social and Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

Tomana, who was addressing prosecutors at Masvingo Magistrates Court during a National Prosecution Authority (NPA) board visit yesterday, said prosecution was the backbone of all civilised nations’ justice delivery systems.

The Prosecutor-General noted the need to avail more furniture, stationery as well as Information Communication and Technology (ICT) to the Masvingo courts.

“I would like to congratulate you because of your commitment towards serving your country through law enforcement. This is despite the challenges that you’re faced with ranging from equipment, stationery and transport. Your mandate as prosecutors is to combat corruption because the government’s blueprint, Zim-Asset, won’t succeed if corruption is allowed to prevail. The economic blueprint will remain just a pipe dream without your input,” said Tomana.

He urged prosecutors to claim their place in the justice delivery system and lead by example in fighting corruption.

“Charity begins at home. You should first renounce corruption so that you justify your role in fighting crime. You should have relevance to the matrix of things in the country. NPA was created as a way to combat corruption.Your duty is to restore sanity and there will not be that restoration if nothing practical is done. You should demand your space by making yourself relevant and be able to sanitise the nation from corruption,” said Tomana.

The NPA board is on a nationwide tour of its stations around the country in order to have an appreciation of the challenges being faced. The board has so far visited Chitungwiza, Rotten Row, Mbare, Chinhoyi, Mount Darwin, Mutare, Chipinge and Bindura magistrates courts.

Tomana said prosecuting is different from other professions in that prosecutors take an oath instead of signing employment contract forms. He said prosecutors have a constitutional mandate to enforce the law of the land.

Tomana was accompanied by secretary for human resources, Sikiwa Tirivanhu, NPA Secretary, Colonel Solomon Siziba and executive secretary for finance and administration, Major Levy Msipa.

Masvingo Chief Law officer, Lovack Masuku, led the board members in touring offices.

He told the NPA board that the province was in urgent need of vehicles.