Zimbabwe Justice System Suspect as AG Johannes Tomana Declares Allegiance to Zanu PF!

I was flabbergasted yesterday when I was listening to the interview broadcasted on the state run television between the Herald Reporter and the recently appointed Attorney General of Zimbabwe, Johannes Tomana. In an earlier post I indicated that the opposition MDC was not happy with the appointment of Tomana as the AG on the premise that the appointment decision was based on partisan politics and not in accord with the spirit of the September 15 2008 power sharing deal. Sadly, Tomana, has come out in the open about his love for the Zanu PF government. He declared that, “I am Zanu-PF and I am proud to be of that party. Nothing bars me from being a Zanu-PF supporter. Our law protects that right and that is why in society, public offices are occupied by people who are free to belong to their political parties” Clearly such sentiments shouldn’t be coming from an individual who was sworn to be an objective, impartial and non partisan arbiter of justice.

The MDC cannot expect to receive justice within the now laughable Zimbabwean justice system where one's allegiance to Zanu PF is synonymous to innocence as shown by this man! This is an unfortunate aberration from the underpinning aspects of the rule of law where those who are sworn to hold such public offices much be persons who are apolitical. It now explains why the AG’s Office has been categorical and trenchant in its denial to grant MDC human rights activists, including Jestina Mukoko (Director for the Zimbabwe Peace Project) bail pending trial. Surely, the justice delivery machinery cannot be expected perform to the expectations of the Zimbabwean citizens where high offices are manned by decision makers who are Zanu PF apologists. Political decisions will surely prevail over public reason under such circumstances. And much to the chagrin, Tomana is supportive of the roles given to the security and military agencies by the Mugabe administrations, especially the Zimbabwe Security Council and the Joint Operations Command yet these very same institutions have wrecked havoc to the generality of the Zimbabwean populace. Zimbabwe cannot resurrect from the problems besetting it if we continue to allow Zanu PF to permeate all segments of the society like this! Something needs to be done beyond talking!