Mnangagwa faction suffers double tragedy

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

President Robert Mugabe on Thursday suspended the Prosecutor General, Johannes Tomana, to pave way for a tribunal to determine his suitability for work.

His suspension closely followed the expulsion from Zanu PF of Chris Mutsvangwa, the former minister for war veterans’ affairs, with who Tomana has been linked to a succession faction led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The tribunal, which Mugabe gave three months to complete its work, will investigate Tomana for alleged improper conduct that includes defeating the course of justice for ordering the release of two men suspected of trying to petrol-bomb Mugabe’s Alpha Omega dairy farm.

Mugabe appointed Ray Goba, an advocate, the acting prosecutor general for the period the tribunal will be probing Tomana.

The tribunal, which Mugabe swore in at State House on Thursday, comprises former High Court judge, Moses Chinhengo as the chair, University of Zimbabwe (UZ) dean of law, Emmanuel Magade, and Harare lawyer, Melina Matshiya.

“Our mandate as we understand it, is that the Prosecutor-General has been suspended and there has got to be an investigation into his suspension. We will read all the matters that are supposed to be read and we will look into them,” said Chinhengo after the swearing in ceremony.

He is a former deputy prosecutor-general in Namibia where he also worked as the government attorney and the director of legal services and international cooperation.

Tomana was in October last year given a 30-day jail term for contempt of court after he defied court orders to issue certificates for the private prosecution of Bikita West legislator, Munyaradzi Kereke, and Telecel shareholder, Jane Mutasa.

Kereke is accused of raping an 11-year-old relative while Mutasa was facing charges of swindling the company of airtime recharge cards worth millions of dollars.

Tomana courted the ire of women, including Mugabe’s wife, Grace, for publicly saying girls as young as 12 years of age can consent to sex.

Tomana is seen as a close ally of Mnangagwa, who is in charge of justice and parliamentary affairs and was backed by Mutsvangwa’s group to take over from Mugabe, 92. Nehanda Radio