Opinion / Columnist
Political bigwigs must face justice like everyone else
22 Sep 2017 at 06:37hrs | Views
IT appears to be in the nature of people in positions of power or authority to use their offices to duck the long arm of the law. But time is often a harsh master and such people tend to eventually have to face the music and pay penance for their sins.
The matters of jailed rapist former Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke and former Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana are cases in point.
It would appear that Higher Education minister and Zanu-PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo - who is accused of abusing over $430 000 at the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund - could face the same music after the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) dismissed the minister's bid to challenge his arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and his refusal to appear before a magistrate for criminal abuse of office.
One can only wonder why Moyo will resist subjecting himself to the due process of the law. If his hands are indeed clean, as he would have us believe, Moyo should welcome the opportunity to stand before a competent court of law and have his name cleared. But his spirited campaign to avoid going through the processes raises a lot of stink. Does he have something to hide, something that the courts will likely unearth?
Whatever the interpretation of the Concourt ruling, justice should be delivered for the benefit of Zimbabweans, as justice delayed is justice denied. Attempts to politicise every genuine case by feigning political harassment from some quarters will not rescue this country from its current quagmire.
We would want to encourage Moyo to allow due processes to take place for his own good and the country, as a national leader he has a duty to show exemplary leadership.
The Concourt ruling that the bureaucrat should appear before the courts so that it can be determined whether or not his arrest was constitutional, is a welcome development. This is because the practice of misusing national resources for Zanu-PF party business is unlawful yet it has become rampant in this country.
Further to that, this ruling must send a clear and loud message that politicians - or any influential persons for that matter - cannot abuse the Concourt to escape justice by claiming that their constitutional rights have been violated.
There have been several instances where influential persons other than the Tsholotsho North Member of Parliament, have sought to halt legal processes following arrests just to ensure that they would not be brought to account for their actions.
And what we have seen is that in many of the cases, justice eventually prevailed. It is heartening to note that if indeed Moyo did not abuse the said funds, he will have his day in court, and win. But if he had something to do with the abuse, then justice will prevail, too.
Zimbabweans are hopeful the conviction of the powerful in our society, should it come, could put an end to the abuse, of the national resources for personal aggrandisement.
The matters of jailed rapist former Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke and former Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana are cases in point.
It would appear that Higher Education minister and Zanu-PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo - who is accused of abusing over $430 000 at the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund - could face the same music after the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) dismissed the minister's bid to challenge his arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and his refusal to appear before a magistrate for criminal abuse of office.
One can only wonder why Moyo will resist subjecting himself to the due process of the law. If his hands are indeed clean, as he would have us believe, Moyo should welcome the opportunity to stand before a competent court of law and have his name cleared. But his spirited campaign to avoid going through the processes raises a lot of stink. Does he have something to hide, something that the courts will likely unearth?
Whatever the interpretation of the Concourt ruling, justice should be delivered for the benefit of Zimbabweans, as justice delayed is justice denied. Attempts to politicise every genuine case by feigning political harassment from some quarters will not rescue this country from its current quagmire.
The Concourt ruling that the bureaucrat should appear before the courts so that it can be determined whether or not his arrest was constitutional, is a welcome development. This is because the practice of misusing national resources for Zanu-PF party business is unlawful yet it has become rampant in this country.
Further to that, this ruling must send a clear and loud message that politicians - or any influential persons for that matter - cannot abuse the Concourt to escape justice by claiming that their constitutional rights have been violated.
There have been several instances where influential persons other than the Tsholotsho North Member of Parliament, have sought to halt legal processes following arrests just to ensure that they would not be brought to account for their actions.
And what we have seen is that in many of the cases, justice eventually prevailed. It is heartening to note that if indeed Moyo did not abuse the said funds, he will have his day in court, and win. But if he had something to do with the abuse, then justice will prevail, too.
Zimbabweans are hopeful the conviction of the powerful in our society, should it come, could put an end to the abuse, of the national resources for personal aggrandisement.
Source - newsday
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