via NPA urged to be non-partisan – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 10, 2015
The Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) yesterday called on the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to exercise its mandate in a non-partisan manner, especially when dealing with political cases.
LRF centre manager Cathrine Chimanda made the call when she appeared in Parliament.
“Our expectations as LRF are that the NPA must work independently as provided for in the Constitution, and their independence and impartiality must not be on paper only, but must be seen by the general public,” Chimanda said. “The NPA should not further the interests of any political party or prejudice the interests of any political party.”
Speaking at the same meeting, Human Rights NGO Forum senior projects lawyer Tafadzwa Christmas said while they welcomed the separation of the Attorney-General’s Office and the NPA, there was need for change of mindset by the staff because they were the same people who used to work for the old AG’s Office.
Christmas said they had also witnessed cases were the AG went to defend government institutions, for example, the police who would have clearly violated the law, adding no one must be above the law.
COMMENTS
the very concept of the rule of law needs to be re-established in Zimbabwe before we can begin to expect that presidential appointees will be even remotely non-partisan.