Opinion Nothando Bhila

I KNOW of a generation, a generation that may never be in future, a generation that though it may have orally passed on its rich wealth of knowledge to the next and sustained itself this way in the past without being eroded, may not survive now.

This wealth of knowledge may be tampered with as it is with a broken telephone, where the ‘original message’ does not always get to the final recipient the way it was first communicated. I know of a generation I lament how their unmatched life method is now rendered archaic with very little or no shreds salvaged; a generation whose knowledge should have been encrypted so that their written records can be used to shape the future and perhaps help the coming generations understand their identity by understanding their past.

Indeed, this generation has a lot to appraise of the next generations, but alas, there are also hurdles, unforeseen or seen and ignored, that the next generations have to embrace and perhaps come up with possible curtails where necessary in order to survive the future. What generation am I talking about?

I am talking about a generation where what they did had a lot of meaning to it, a black and white generation. A generation where black could not be perceived as being grey or navy blue, neither was white perceived to be beige. These “absolute” understandings meant life was not as complicated as it is today. I can only imagine what the outcome will be in the years to come.

I lament for the beloved generation that displayed what it was like to have a passion for what you do in life, not mostly driven by money, but by purpose and the good golden commandment of “doing unto others as we would love them to do unto us”.

It is this generation that afforded to work 50 years for a company, perhaps because companies also valued employees or perhaps it was a question of just being loyal, not in any way looking down at today’s employee-employer relations, as for everything under the sun there is a good and bad side to it.

A generation also that could afford to be married for 50 years and the community helped raise their children because children were regarded as the community’s children. Today’s generation is pretty much far from this. You dread to leave your children with the community because the community has become selfish and not selfless, as it can shamelessly harm your children instead of protecting them.

The stories that circulate on this are very much appalling; norms turned into anomalies. We have done away with the “good traditional ethos” of raising our children and spoil them unnecessarily in the name of being modern. We feed them with all sorts of immoral behaviour. Today’s children demand something for nothing majority of the times and hardly give something for nothing in return.

When they grow up and become a burden to not only society, but us the parents as well, we marvel and blame it on modernity and sadly chant the phrases,

“Children of today”, “Technology and its downsides” and yet there is no home or family called modernity or technology.

Multi-generational families are fast becoming a norm in today’s world. Grandparents now feature a lot, with the role of heading families as the parents of their grandchildren would have passed on due to different reasons, among which life threatening illnesses are encompassed. These then give rise to multi-generational families, among other reasons like broken marriages. The generation I lament for is a one that, as the saying goes, “fixed things when they were broken”, compared to a generation that does not always value marriage and its role in the community and the world at large.

In my opinion, it is with these realities that it is not surprising that individualism has fast become acceptable in a world where we boast of “globalisation”, the world becoming one village. Ideally, for me it is here people were conceivably supposed to be more united and perchance create a better world, but regrettably, globalisation appears to be scattering people more than it is bringing them together.

Cry the beloved generation where transparency was a noble thing in society and was dignified, thereby making it easy for people to relate and help each other without constantly suspecting the next person.

Today’s generation is a generation that would rather die than give a password to their mobile phones. It is so bad that in times of trouble befalling a person, perhaps after having fainted and in dire need of an ambulance, rescuers with no credit on their mobile phones cannot access help, them not having air time, whereas the victim’s, which has the air time cannot be used as doing so would need the victim’s password first. A people who are so full of passwords, we sometimes even forget them and find ourselves not only locking other people out from our valuables, but us too.

It is when God has blessed you well enough to come in contact with this generation I bemoan, that you begin to compare and contrast and ask if there surely was not anything good about their ways we could carry into the future and still make the modern adjustments to it and preserve the good side of our culture.

BY Staff Reporter

Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe chapter has said the recently gazetted Freedom of Information Bill does not adequately reflect globally accepted access to information standards and best practice.

In a submission to Information minister on the Bill, Misa-Zimbabwe chairperson Golden Maunganidze protested that most of the submissions made by non-governmental organisations and stakeholders during the inter-ministerial taskforce-led engagement on the repeal of Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA) did not make it into the current version of the Bill.

“Submissions made during these meetings have not been included in the Bill, save for the reduction of the period within which requests for information have to
be finalised,” Maunganidze said.

“The Bill also retains vast, far-reaching blanket bans on the classes of information that cannot be requested or accessed in terms of this law. The threshold
for denying access to information is set so low that when passed into law, this Bill will not result in a positive or significant shift in Zimbabwe’s access to
information regime.”

He said in some instances, the Bill removes some of the positive aspects of AIPPA such as a section which permitted for the voluntary disclosure of information
that is in the public interest, but is no longer there in the proposed legislation.

“The Bill is also silent on the internal transfers of requests for information submitted to the wrong entity. It is unclear whether these provisions were
intentionally omitted for whether these are drafting errors,” the Misa boss said.

He added: “Another contentious issue is the assignment of the role to oversee the enjoyment and exercise of the right to access to information solely to the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). This is erroneous as the ZMC is tasked only with media freedom issues.”

INTERVIEW Obey Manayiti

MDC external branches have not been seen as key players in national politics because the diaspora vote has been shut out of local elections.

However, Tawanda Dzvokora (TD), chairperson of the United States branch, told NewsDay Weekender senior reporter Obey Manayiti (NDW) that as external branches, they have a bigger and important role to play, not only to their party, but to the nation as whole. He shares his insight in excerpts below:

NDW: Congratulations on your election victory to lead the MDC-US branch. Can you briefly share with us your mandate?

TD: Thank you. My mandate is not simple, but very much achievable. I must lead the North America Province (NAP), reinvigorate the party, grow and resource it.

I must connect the party to institutions within the United States and Canada as well as the United States State Department.

Strategic partnerships with key organisations here is also one of my priorities. As chairperson, I will lead the fight for the diaspora vote, which is a fundamental right to every Zimbabwean.

Fundraising is the primary reason why we have external assemblies and I will spearhead fundraising programmes that will help the party.

NDW: Do you think the external branches have a role to play in Zimbabwean politics, where you don’t participate in the actual voting?

TD: External assemblies are very much critical to the democratisation and development of Zimbabwe. External associations/assemblies are beneficial for both nation and party.

By just a critical look in the just past years, the diaspora carried the nation on its shoulders. It sustained the Zimbabwe economy through the diaspora remittances.

Over US$2 billion was channelled in Zimbabwe’s economy by diasporas. So, logically, such helpful components of the nation should be recognised and there is no better recognition than a vote.

NDW: After the congress, the MDC came up with a totally new leadership. Do you have confidence in this leadership? Do you think the party can finally seize power from Zanu PF?

TD: The leadership that came out of our congress is a reflection of trust and wishes of the people. The leaders are of good character and disposition, who possess abilities to wrest power from the failed Zanu PF regime. I sincerely believe the people’s revolution is imminent and we will have an MDC government before 2023.

NDW: Between now and the next elections, what reforms do you want to see being implemented?

TD: We have a five-point plan that is being further cemented by the RELOAD blueprint, but of emphasis is the need to reform the electoral laws, starting by disbanding Zec [Zimbabwe Electoral Commission] itself.

Zec should be an independent commission and should return its autonomy, but currently, Zec is behaving like an extension of the Zanu PF commissariat
department.

We also need to align laws to the new Constitution. This is very important and can be the stepping stone to many other reforms that we need; they are quite many for your own information.

NDW: The State has indicated that it brooks no threats from opposition and civil society leaders. We have seen a wave of arrests. Without commenting on issues now before the courts, do you think the new dispensation is as tolerant as they want the world to believe?

TD: [President Emmerson] Mnangagwa’s establishment is very intolerant and a threat to national security.

The military junta government has charged more Zimbabweans with treason in a short period of time than colonial Rhodesia and the [former President Robert] Mugabe’s totalitarian rule.

The military junta has also slayed more through extra-judicial killings over a short period of time compared to the Mugabe misrule.

The military junta has perfected the colonial brutality and postcolonial misgovernance and is double evil and incompetent to Mugabe and Ian Smith added.

NDW: We have seen opposition members demonstrating in the United Kingdom against Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo and his delegation. Do you think this was justified and why?

TD: It is justified because people here in the diaspora enjoy full rights to register their discontent and disapproval of something.

It was rather unfortunate that the security detail started assaulting peaceful protesters. To make matters worse, they assaulted women.

An unfortunate act that is reminiscent of what’s happening in Zimbabwe, where women and children are attacked and raped without restraint.

We are, however, relieved to hear that we will be pressing charges against the abusive behaviour of the security detail that caused a raucous with the
otherwise peaceful demonstrators.

By Veneranda Langa

THE Joshua Sacco-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry on Tuesday recommended that the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Bill must ensure that the agency is decentralised to provinces and districts, which must be empowered to approve investments of up to US$1 million.

Sacco said this in the National Assembly while presenting the Industry Committee report on the ZIDA Bill, which is currently in the Second Reading Stage of being crafted.

The ZIDA Bill seeks to establish the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency, which will be a one-stop shop for investors.

“During public hearings, the public suggested that ZIDA should be decentralised and devolution be implemented to provincial and district structures,” Sacco said.

“The committee’s recommendations are that the Bill should encompass a clause which provides for maximum value of investment at provincial level and US$1 million is adequate for provincial and district investment.”

He said in order to promote the ease of doing business, investment licences should be out in five days and that officers manning desks at ZIDA provincial and district offices must be senior decision-makers to avoid bureaucracy.

Sacco said the Bill must follow the Rwandan model, adding that board members for ZIDA must only hold a maximum of two terms, which is eight years, with board members chosen on a performance-based format and the eight board members should also reflect gender and geographical representation.

Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa (MDC Alliance) said he was shocked to see adverts for posts to be filled in at ZIDA before the agency was even formed, which smelt of corruption.

“Government was even paying for offices before the ZIDA Bill is crafted. Following the Rwandan model will be difficult because in Rwanda, their investment agency chief executive officer sits in Cabinet, yet in Zimbabwe it’s not the case,” Mushoriwa said.

Mutasa South MP Regai Tsunga (MDC Alliance) added: “It is an anomaly for ZIDA positions to be advertised when there is no structure or board. As Parliament, we take exception to that.”

Makonde MP Kindness Paradza (Zanu PF) stressed the need for the ZIDA Bill to include people with relevant skills in the Bill.

Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese (MDC Alliance) blasted Industry minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, his deputy Rajeshkumar Modi and Industry ministry officials for being absent during debate of the ZIDA Bill.

Modi later turned up in the House to listen to MPs’ contributions.

Proportional Representation MP Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga (MDC-T) said as ZIDA was being implemented, the Industry ministry must be wary of corrupt tendencies, where government officials demand bribes from investors.

Chegutu West MP Dextor Nduna (Zanu PF) said government should be wary that investors do not export unbeneficiated products.

On gender issues, Mount Pleasant legislator Samuel Banda (MDC Alliance) suggested that if the CEO of ZIDA was a male, then the deputy should be a woman or vice-versa.

Mutasa North MP Chido Madiwa (Zanu PF) threatened that if the ZIDA board had no equal number of males to females, then the Bill should not be passed.
Other suggestions by MPs were that the Bill must ensure that all local and international investors must ensure public health standards are observed.

BY VENERANDA LANGA in ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

WHEN the Zimbabwean Senate in March this year hastily ratified the African Charter on Elections and Governance (ACDEG) without debate on its principles, parliamentarians missed a good opportunity to discuss its principles and how the country can use it to promote human rights.

Most Senators had not even studied the charter, which was put in their pigeon holes, before Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi brought it for ratification by Senate after the National Assembly had done so.

Debate by opposition MPs had centred on elections, alignment of laws and human rights at a time at least 18 civilians were shot dead by soldiers during the January protests against steep fuel hikes, while another six were shot dead on August 1 last year in post-election violence.

ACDEG principles, which should be observed by member States, among them Zimbabwe – and which MPs should have debated extensively, putting forward suggestions on the betterment of people’s lives – include respect for human rights and democratic principles.

Constitutional expert James Tsabora summed up some of ACDEG principles as: “Adherence to constitutionalism and rule of law, holding of free, fair and regular
elections, respect of separation of powers among the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature, gender equality, participation of citizens in development and governance issues, accountability and transparency in resource allocation and management, rejection of corruption, strengthening political pluralism and recognising legally constituted political parties, including the opposition.”

MPs and Senators, therefore, had an opportunity to scrutinise the Zimbabwean situation against those principles as the country is bedevilled by corruption, including lack of transparency in natural resources governance, cartels, illicit financial flows, human rights abuses, electoral law reforms, issues to with achievement if social rights as envisaged in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and alignment of laws with the Constitution.

Tsabora, in an interview with NewsDay, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government should be credited for moving with speed in terms of alignment of laws. Several laws, including those related to the media, are being brought before Parliament for alignment with the Constitution.

For instance, the oppressive Public Order and Security Act (POSA) is being repealed and replaced with the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA), which is currently a Bill. But many Zimbabweans have rejected the proposed law, saying it is even worse than POSA.

MPs observed section 141 of the Constitution by extensively holding public hearings on the Bill, but what now remains pivotal is that when Bills like MOPA come before Parliament for crafting, legislators must scrutinise them, looking at whether they adhere to principles envisaged in ACDEG, which Zimbabwe ratified.

Tinebeb Berhane, country director for ActionAid in Ethiopia – an organisation which has been training journalists and civic society to popularise ACDEG, said it was imperative for MPs, journalists and civic society to promote ACDEG.

“The media has a role to play in making African governments accountable for implementation of ACDEG,” she said.

While Zimbabwean senators missed an opportunity to extensively debate ACDEG during its ratification stage, an opportunity still exists for any of them to introduce a motion to discuss its implementation in line with the socio-economic, political and human rights issues in the country.

Berhane said out of the countries that ratified ACDEG, only one, Togo, has submitted its implementation report in line with article 49 of ACDEG, which stipulates that State parties should submit biennial reports to the AU Commission on legislative or other relevant measures taken to give effect to the principles and commitments of the charter.

African Union peer review mechanism liaison officer Batloka Makong said the AU had now designed a questionnaire for voluntary self-assessment, which will assist in assessing countries.

“The AU has put the issue of democracy at centre stage and it has done its first monitoring report, but very soon the AU will be naming and shaming African countries that are not adhering to human rights and democracy,” Makong said.

Ghanaian academic, Kwame Karikai, said there was need for the strengthening of AU communication departments to effectively disseminate information on ACDEG and its principles by the media, civic society and legislators.

It seems most African nationals still know nothing about ACDEG.

BY RICHARD MUPONDE

FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa is expected to commission the San community irrigation scheme next Saturday, a month after production started, with the project now flourishing with fresh vegetables.

The solar project is situated in Makhulela area, over 100km from Plumtree town.

First Lady, through the Angel of Hope Foundation, visited the remote area in June last year and promised to set up the solar-powered irrigation scheme to benefit 45 families.

This was after she had commissioned a borehole she drilled for the same community the same year.

A year later, the promise was fulfilled after the department of irrigation finished setting up the equipment and is now awaiting commissioning.

Bulilima acting district administrator Nyasha Majonga yesterday confirmed the First Lady’s date with the San people to the Bulililma Civil Protection Unit, and invited government departments to attend the function.

“We are all advised of the First Lady (Amai) Auxillia Mnangagwa’s visit to the San community garden in Makhulela on July 26. We are, therefore, inviting all to attend,” Majonga said.

The irrigation scheme was now functional and flourishing with vegetables watered by the solar-powered pump.

The garden was promised the San people by the First Lady in June last year in the run up to the harmonised elections.

The project has reportedly brought smiles to the San families who would live from hand-to-mouth for over 20 years following their removal from Mabhongwane Game Park in the mid-1990s by the government of former President Robert Mugabe.

Bulilima West legislator Dingimuzi Phuti (Zanu PF) has heaped praise on the First Lady and President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the project which he said would help the San people, who had for long been neglected.

“I’m so elated that this is happening to these people, the San, who most people have not been taking care of. It also amplifies the President’s passion for agriculture and food security. The First Lady is, indeed, a champion,” Phuti said.

BY FARAI MATIASHE/PRECIOUS CHIDA

Women’s groups have called on the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to launch an inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse against Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walter Magaya.

Several women who minister at Magaya’s church have levelled sexual abuse allegations against him.

The call by the groups, under the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), followed reports of increasing number of women who have been opening up alleging that they were sexually-abused or exploited by Magaya.

“As the Magaya allegations have caused public interest and alarm among the women of Zimbabwe and the society at large, WCoZ, therefore, calls upon ZRP, Zimbabwe Gender Commission Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and other relevant authority to commission an inquiry into

Magaya and his church in order to establish the truth behind the allegations,” WCoZ chairperson Ronika Mumbire said at a Press briefing in Harare yesterday.

“Also, (we call upon) the Parliament of Zimbabwe for the development of regulatory framework that ensures that there is human rights oversight and safeguarding in churches.”

Mumbire said church leaders and congregants should exercise collective oversight of the church space to ensure human rights were upheld.

The WCoZ chairperson said women and girls who have allegedly been sexually-abused by Magaya should come forward as they were committed to provide support, security and ensure the cases were reported to the police.

Nude pictures purportedly showing Magaya and an unknown woman have also gone viral on social media, with some members of his church and those who sympathise with him questioning their authenticity and arguing that they had been doctored.

Musasa Project director Netty Musanhu said the general populace must desist from vilifying women who speak out against sexual violence.

“It is highly regrettable that the society thinks every sexual abuse case that is reported is an issue of extortion. Not all women are looking for money, one should wonder why the cases are only circulating around Magaya. Why him? So, let us stop denigrating women and subject these issues to an inquiry,” Musanhu said.

According to Musasa Project, five rape cases against Magaya were reported to them last year.

Gender and Media Connect director Abigail Gamanya chided journalists and police officers for allegedly getting bribes from Magaya to suppress sexual abuse cases.

“Journalists are being bribed to cover up the story, but are we doing justice? We claim to be the watchdog of the society, but are we really playing the role?

We know some of us are on payroll. We should revise our editorial policies and be gender-sensitive,” she said.

But police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in the case of Charity Dlodlo and Sarah Maruta, there were no records to show that any such charges were brought before the police.

“And what has been disturbing with these accusations is that when the police were ready to pounce, the victims would turn around and say they never made such allegations,” he said in a statement.

“This makes the work of the police difficult, especially that such allegations involve adults. It would have been a different case if minors were involved. For
the justice delivery system to work, we need consistent and reliable witnesses, who will not turn around and say otherwise.”

BY FARAI MATIASHE

WHEN a suspected thief, on a bad day, is caught by ordinary citizens, it is common that the person will be beaten and sometimes left-for-dead.

The public reaction speaks to lack of knowledge that a suspect also has rights and deserves humane treatment.

Constitutionally, police officers play the role of rescuing both the suspect — who can fall victim to mob justice due to public anger — and those whose belongings would have been stolen.

The police then hand over the culprits to the justice delivery system and the courts take over to assess whether or not the suspect is guilty, including meting out the statutory punishment where necessary.

But for many years now, there have been claims that the police often torture, harass and beat up suspects in cells.

Last month, a 30-year-old man from Kambuzuma allegedly stole an edging tape at his workplace in the Graniteside industrial site in Harare so he could sell it and augment his salary, whose value had significantly eroded following the re-introduction of the Zimdollar.

Following his arrest, the man was taken to Braeside Police Station, where a docket was opened. He was locked up in a police cell overnight.

In an interview with NewsDay Weekender, the man recalled: “I was handcuffed. They were interrogating me. Five of them took turns to beat me under my feet, neck and back. Some used open fists and baton sticks, while others used a hosepipe to torture me.”

He said during midnight, the baton stick got broken and he thought they would leave him alone, but they looked for another and continued assaulting him until morning.

He was later released after his employer withdrew the case and sacked him.

“I am left with nothing. I do not even know how I am going to get money for rentals and to buy food for my family,” he said.

His wife did not think he would make it and often cried as she nursed his wounds, sustained from police torture.

This is just one of the many cases of police brutality, with Braeside and Southerton Police stations said to be the worst hellholes.

Another victim, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled his horror experience at Southerton Police Station.

“They (the police) do not play games … I was beaten to the extent that I could not walk. That is how they treat suspects. They force you to talk,” he said.

“They will beat and torture you, even for a minor crime. I was once arrested and taken there.”

According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, section 70(1)(a) provides that any person accused of an offence has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Section 50(1)(c) provides that any person who is arrested must be treated humanely and with respect for their inherent dignity.

Section 53 guarantees citizens’ freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

These rights and freedoms are also enshrined in international charters and conventions.

According to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (UNCAT), torture refers to inflicting severe physical or mental pain or suffering deliberately to obtain information or a confession from the person being tortured.

Torture is also done to punish a person for something they have done or suspected to have done.

Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights provides for freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Police brutality, which had become the hallmark of former President Robert Mugabe’s rule, has remained entrenched even in the “Second Republic”.

Often when suspects are brought to court, their legal representatives raise complaints of torture against the police — and the court can give an order to have those investigated and corrective measures taken.

Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) chairperson Elasto Mugwadi, however, said incidences of torture were minimal in police cells, although there was need to address the few cases of torture by security personnel.

“In order to curb the incidences of torture for suspects of criminal offenses, the ZHRC recommends mainstreaming human rights tenets into the training curriculum of police officers, and the security services at large, refresher workshops on human rights for security personnel, especially the police,” he said.

In a recent statement released at the UN International Day in support of victims of torture, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said the government should make torture a criminal offence and take adequate measures to combat it.

“We call upon government to criminalise torture, prosecute all cases of torture, ensure full accountability of all perpetrators and guarantee redress and rehabilitation to victims, including taking adequate measures to prevent all forms of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment,” ZLHR said.

ZLHR said the government must investigate and prosecute those responsible for torture, including the ill-treatment of suspects and ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law, and that government must accept the outstanding request for a fact-finding country visit by the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, In-human or degrading treatment.

The lawyers said torture has, for long, been a problem in Zimbabwe and their organisation had documented numerous cases in which State security agents had been involved.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, however, denied that suspects were being tortured while in police custody.

“We do not have such cases. Actually, you are the first person telling me about such an issue. If there are any people who have such concerns with police officers, they must come and make formal reports and we will investigate so that justice can prevail,” he said.

Human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama, who has represented many political activists in court, confirmed that torture of suspects in police custody was common practice.

“They do it frequently and not only to punish people, but also to extract information. Yet such information, which would have been obtained unlawfully, cannot be used in a court of law. The Constitution is very clear; people should not be treated inhumanely,” he said.

BY CHARLES LAITON

The Prosecutors’ Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) has petitioned Prosecutor-General (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi, declaring incapacitation to discharge their mandate due to poor conditions of service.

In a memorandum addressed to Hodzi and copied to acting deputy PG, Nelson Mutsonziwa and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) secretariat, the prosecutors yesterday said they were failing to properly discharge their duties due to deteriorating economic conditions.

The prosecutors also said since May 16, 2019 when they raised the same concerns with their employer, their plight has not been addressed.
PAZ said the economic situation in the country has continued to deteriorate to such an extent that they were now proposing that they be allowed to be
accommodated with their families at their respective work stations.

“In our petition to you on May 16, 2019, we raised several issues that were affecting the welfare of prosecutors in the country. These, among others, include
housing loans, motor vehicle loans, medical aid schemes, hampers, gifts and bonuses, conditions of service, remuneration and allowances,” PAZ said.

“Your office made an undertaking to have the issues addressed. Regrettably, the said concerns are yet to be addressed and even our Christmas hampers which are
long overdue.”

The association also said the welfare situation for the prosecutors countrywide had nose-dived due to the prevailing harsh economic environment, adding the situation had further seen their meagre salaries being drastically eroded by high transport costs.

“As a result, prosecutors are now badly exposed to the extent of even failing to buy lunch. Nonetheless, we are still expected to come to work timeously and
discharge our duties diligently,” PAZ said, adding: “We propose that we report to work twice a week on a rotational basis and that we be accommodated together with our families at the work station.”

The prosecutors urged their employer to review their salaries, retention/hardship allowance, grocery vouchers, housing allowances/subsidised houses, transport allowance and fuel allocation, among other conditions of service.