News / National
Ray Goba locked out
08 Nov 2017 at 05:30hrs | Views
ACTING Prosecutor-General Ray Goba has reportedly been locked out of his office following the recent nullification of his appointment as substantive PG by President Robert Mugabe.
Justice ministry permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza yesterday confirmed Goba had been ordered to stop reporting for duty, but could not confirm reports that his office had been locked.
"He has been asked to stop reporting for work. That is all I can say for now, any other pronouncements on the matter will be communicated," she said.
Goba refused to discuss the matter, saying: "I am not making any comments on that issue at the moment. I think it would be inappropriate for me to do so."
But sources close to the matter told NewsDay that a team of Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives visited the PG's office and issued an order barring Goba from entering the premises.
"The State agents then came again over the weekend and ordered that keys to Goba's office be changed," said the source, adding Goba only discovered the lockout when he reported for duty on Monday this week.
"All files that had been in Goba's office were transferred to (deputy PG) Florence Ziyambi's office," another source said.
President Robert Mugabe confirmed Goba's appointment in extraordinary Government Gazette General Notice 493 of 2017 published on September 13, before he rescinded the decision in another gazette published on October 27.
"It is hereby notified that the captioned General Notice that was published in the Gazette Extraordinary on the 13 of September 2017 is repealed," wrote Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda in the notice 642 0f 2017.
Goba's appointment was reportedly tainted by Zanu-PF's intriguing succession issue that has since claimed the scalp of former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He has also reportedly been undone by a freak conviction in Namibia involving a traffic accident.
The beleaguered PG has since written to Justice minister Happyton Bonyongwe demanding reinstatement as substantive PG arguing his rights to administrative justice were violated. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has also jumped to Goba's side launching a court bid and setting the stage for a gruelling legal battle, with Mugabe having already invited fresh applications for the post.
Justice ministry permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza yesterday confirmed Goba had been ordered to stop reporting for duty, but could not confirm reports that his office had been locked.
"He has been asked to stop reporting for work. That is all I can say for now, any other pronouncements on the matter will be communicated," she said.
Goba refused to discuss the matter, saying: "I am not making any comments on that issue at the moment. I think it would be inappropriate for me to do so."
But sources close to the matter told NewsDay that a team of Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives visited the PG's office and issued an order barring Goba from entering the premises.
"The State agents then came again over the weekend and ordered that keys to Goba's office be changed," said the source, adding Goba only discovered the lockout when he reported for duty on Monday this week.
"All files that had been in Goba's office were transferred to (deputy PG) Florence Ziyambi's office," another source said.
President Robert Mugabe confirmed Goba's appointment in extraordinary Government Gazette General Notice 493 of 2017 published on September 13, before he rescinded the decision in another gazette published on October 27.
"It is hereby notified that the captioned General Notice that was published in the Gazette Extraordinary on the 13 of September 2017 is repealed," wrote Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda in the notice 642 0f 2017.
Goba's appointment was reportedly tainted by Zanu-PF's intriguing succession issue that has since claimed the scalp of former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He has also reportedly been undone by a freak conviction in Namibia involving a traffic accident.
The beleaguered PG has since written to Justice minister Happyton Bonyongwe demanding reinstatement as substantive PG arguing his rights to administrative justice were violated. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has also jumped to Goba's side launching a court bid and setting the stage for a gruelling legal battle, with Mugabe having already invited fresh applications for the post.
Source - newsday
