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Zacc saga claims first scalp

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THE ill-fated crackdown by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) on Zanu PF ministers and the police counterattack has sent heads rolling

THE ill-fated crackdown by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) on Zanu PF ministers and the police counterattack has sent heads rolling in its wake with several people, including court officials, badly bruised in the crossfire.

REPORT BY CHARLES LAITON

NewsDay understands that High Court acting registrar Elisha Makomo, believed to have sent the Zacc court application for a search warrant to High Court judge Justice Charles Hungwe, has been redeployed to the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.

Makomo’s High Court duties were reportedly now being carried out by former Harare regional magistrate Walter Chikwanha, who is also Acting Chief Registrar while a new acting registrar was being sort.

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) deputy secretary Rex Shana, however, declined to shed light on the recent developments, but referred questions to Judge President George Chiweshe’s office despite him being Makomo’s boss.

“I cannot comment on that matter. I really do not know what you are talking about. High Court Registrar is answerable to the Judge President and not to my office,” Shana said. The Judge President’s Office could not be reached for comment.

Efforts by NewsDay  to get clarification on the matter proved futile as top JSC officials declined to shed light on the case.

When contacted for comment on whether the Zacc fiasco had prompted Makomo’s transfer, Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe could only say: “I do not comment on such matters.  Makomo is a magistrate who was seconded to the High Court and has since been redeployed to the Harare Magistrates’ Courts.  If there is something you would like to know contact the JSC.”

But one of the sources close to the developments told NewsDay yesterday: “The officers who dealt with the Zacc search warrant are headed for transfers as their handling of the matter was misconstrued to be an indication that they wanted the top government officials arrested.”

So hot was the issue that some Zacc commissioners were reportedly contemplating quitting their jobs in protest over interference by politicians opposed to the investigations.

Zacc spokesperson Goodwill Shana last week told journalists in Harare that the anti-graft body did not secure search warrants to “pursue underhand and malicious investigations against certain organisations, their officials and respective ministries.”

The Zacc investigations were targeted at Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s office, the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board, Minister Obert Mpofu’s office as well as the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and Transport minister Nicholas Goche’s offices.