AG’s office faces increasing pressure from State arms
By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |
The Attorney General’s office is facing increasing pressure from fellow State arms over alleged shoddy work.
Last Friday, police Commissioner General, Augustine Chihuri, met with the AG, Prince Machaya and accused his office of improperly handling cases brought to it by the law enforcement agency that related to citizen protests that have rocked the country of late.
He fell short of accusing the AG’s office of conniving with the protesters to ensure that those who would have been arrested are let off the hook.
Critics, though, maintain that the police has been losing most cases involving protests because it has been more concerned with political persecution of the demonstrators than application of the law.
The judiciary, which Mugabe recently publicly condemned for treating protesters opposed to his rule with kid gloves, has joined hands with the police in rapping the AG’s office.
Deputy Chief Justice, Luke Malaba has also slammed the AG’s office for a laissez faire approach to issues of “national interest”.
He was riled by the civil division of the AG’s office which he said recently failed to timely file its heads of argument in a matter involving the Sexual Rights Centre, a human rights group, and the police.
The Sexual Rights Centre was seeking an order to proceed with planned march in commemoration of the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers in December 2015.
The centre also wanted a police ban on their march reversed.
“I am really worried about the manner in which lawyers from the civil division in the AG’s office conduct themselves especially when it comes to filing heads of argument on serious matters that affect the nation,” said Bere.
Bere threatened to enlist the services of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) in helping file heads of argument for respondents.
“We are considering inviting a friend of the court via the Law Society of Zimbabwe to file the heads,” he said.
Close to two weeks ago, another judge, Luke Malaba, said the AG’s office was prejudicing the State by casually treating matters of national interest in a labour matter in which a Harare woman, Emelda Mhuriro, was challenging the Labour Act for discriminating against women seeking maternity leave.
“We are concerned that the office of the AG takes a position of not assisting the court at all in such a matter of public importance. It is a constitutional matter that involves not only the applicant, but the nation at large. In fact, it is a matter of national importance.
“There is a law that is being challenged and you cannot simply take the case lightly and just say, ‘We are not opposed’,” said Malaba. Nehanda Radio
