THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has recruited 291 prosecutors to fill vacant positions at magistrates’ courts across the country as well as to replace prosecutors seconded to the authority by security organs in line with a 2019 Constitutional Court order.
MORRIS BISHI
The highest court in the land ruled that the seconding of members of the uniformed forces to the prosecutorial unit is unconstitutional.
Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi was ordered to disengage all serving members of the security forces from the NPA within 24 months.
Hodzi confirmed the development to The NewsHawks, saying the new prosecutors are undergoing training so that they commence work at the end of the month.
He said despite fulfilling the requirements of the Constitutional Court, the NPA is in the process of building a very responsive prosecutorial service that ensures the elimination of delays in bringing cases to court.
He added that criminal and corruption cases are on the rise hence the need to assemble an efficient team which can help build the country`s economy through fighting crime.
“The NPA has a policy in place for a continuing recruitment to ensure that it does not depreciate its core competencies. The recruitment of 291 prosecutors was to address loss of staff from retirements, resignations, loss of prosecutors through disciplinary processes and natural attrition,” Hodzi said.
“We also had to abide by a court ruling that gave the PG`s office a deadline on using seconded staff from the uniformed forces and I am happy that we managed to beat that deadline.
“We are in the process of building a very responsive Prosecutorial Service to ensure that we eliminate delay in bringing cases to court and sharpen our strategies to fight and prosecute serious crime.
Currently our secretariat is working to make sure that the new members will be at the new stations by the end of this month and almost all our courts will receive new members.”
