Tomana defends Zanu PF ties

via Tomana defends Zanu PF ties – DailyNews Live by Chengetai Zvauya  1 APRIL 2014

Johannes Tomana, Zimbabwe’s prosecutor-general, yesterday said his allegiance to the ruling Zanu PF party does not compromise his professionalism.

Reiterating his allegiance to the ruling party, Tomana told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Legal, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs chaired by MDC MP Jessie Majome,  that there was nothing wrong with him supporting a party of  his choice.

He rejected accusations by Majome that his allegiance caused bias in  executing his duty as the chief legal advisor to government.

Tomana was briefing the committee on the operations and functions of the National Prosecuting Authority. He was grilled about his alleged partisanship and said he was qualified and competent to occupy the office of prosecutor-general.

“No person in this country will be qualified to occupy an office if we start judging people on political lines,” Tomana said. “It is either you are Zanu PF or MDC. Are you saying the fact that I declared publicly that I support Zanu PF means that I should not occupy that office?

“It is  my constitutional right to choose a party I want to support, of my choice that persuades me with their policies and I choose Zanu PF and there is nothing wrong with that.

“I am a registered voter, I have a right to choose a political party that I want and I did that and  I see nothing  wrong with that. The question that should be asked is whether I am competent or not.”

“The post of the National Prosecution Authority requires a person who is independent and you are on record saying you support Zanu PF. Does that not compromise you?” Majome asked.

Tomana said he was going to carry out his duty without fear, favour or bias towards any political party or anyone.

“I don’t look at what party does a person  belong to whether you are MDC or not if you have broken the law, you will face the  music. There is no selective prosecution,” Tomana said.

He said he was waiting for the National Prosecuting Authority Bill to sail through in Parliament for him to begin to operate effectively as he had no manpower and budget to carry out his duty as the prosecutor-general.