Unless he was misquoted by sections of the state media, Tomana declared that only President Robert Mugabe was qualified to handle Chihuri’s case, adding matters to do with his reappointment were off-limits to the other partners in the inclusive government.
“According to our Constitution, the Commissioner-General as an executive office serving the Executive Presidency, is to be appointed by him (President) and the President has that leeway to consult whoever he wishes, but in particular the Public Service Commission,” he declared.
The AG then threatened with arrest journalists who continue to question Chihuri’s illegal presence in office. Tomana’s intervention in a matter that would best be left to politicians does not bode well for his role as an AG.
As AG, Tomana should be concerned with matters related to the administration of justice and stop meddling in political matters; in other words, he should remain apolitical.
By attempting to stop a legitimate public debate on the tenure of office of a public official, Tomana is getting himself involved in murky party politics, forgetting that he should be impartial if he is to successfully discharge his mandate as AG.
Tomana should be well aware that Mugabe is not the sole ruler he was before the 2008 election. Under the Global Political Agreement that gave Mugabe legitimacy to remain as President, any key appointment to public office has to be agreed to by the three principals. Amendment No 19 to the Constitution is unambiguous about the need for consultation between the principals before any key appointment is made and Chihuri’s case is no exception.
By threatening to arrest journalists for questioning Chihuri’s expired tenure of office, Tomana is showing his true colours and blocking democratic change.
It is difficult to understand how he can seek to stifle public debate on such an important public matter unless he is a Zanu PF political apparatchik masquerading as an AG.
Tomana needs to get real. Zimbabwe critically needs public officials who can command public confidence.
Quote of the week
“I do not know why this pathologist was called; my information is that he is not registered here in Zimbabwe and his name does not appear on the registered medical practioners list,” Mujuru family lawyer, Thakor Kewada commenting on Cuban pathologist Gabriel Alvero Gonzalez’s autopsy on the remains of the late Gen Solomon Mujuru.