Prosecutor hauled to court 

Source: Prosecutor hauled to court | The Herald 06 MAY, 2019

Supa Mandiwanzira

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba on Saturday appeared in court facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer after he allegedly failed to oppose an application for exception by former minister Supa Mandiwanzira at the High Court recently.

Mandiwanzira was eventually acquitted of all the charges invloving breach of procurement regulations when he awarded a $218 million contract to Megawatt, a South African-based consultancy company, on behalf of NetOne.

Nyazamba (42) is being accused of acting contrary to his duties when he failed to lodge relevant papers in opposing Mandiwanzira’s application seeking review of the trial court’s proceedings.

Nyazamba was not formally charged with criminal abuse of duty when he appeared before Harare  magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye, who remanded him to June 3 on $200 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, the prosecutor was ordered to surrender his travelling documents to the Clerk of Court.
The prosecutor was also ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to continue residing at his given address while reporting twice a week on Mondays and Fridays at Mbare Police Station, until the matter is finalised.

Nyazamba’s lawyer, Mr Bhekithemba Mlausi, made a complaint to the court over failure by the police to divulge all the allegations being levelled against his client when they took him to the station.

He said Nyazamba was informed of some of the charges he is facing shortly before the proceedings of the remand hearing.
Charges against Nyazamba arose on March 6, when he was assigned to handle a court application filed at the High Court under case number HC 1761/19 for review involving Mandiwanzira, who was challenging the decision of the trial court to dismiss his application for exception.

The matter had been set for March 8.
It is alleged that on March 8, Nyazamba informed the court that the State’s intention to oppose the application and asked for time to file his papers.

This resulted in the matter being deferred to March 19 and notwithstanding the deadline given, and contrary to his duties, Nyazamba failed to lodge relevant papers, allegedly showing favour to Mandiwanzira.

This prompted the the matter to be set down on the unopposed roll on March 27 before it was again deferred to April 3 on which date Mandiwanzira’s application was granted unopposed by Justice Mathonsi.