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Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
THE outlawing of torturing suspects in the new Constitution means that law enforcement agents should use smart techniques when carrying out their investigations, Prosecutor-General Mr Johannes Tomana has said. He made the remarks at the inaugural graduation ceremony of students at the Zimbabwe Institute of Legal Studies in Harare yesterday.
Mr Tomana was the guest of honour at a ceremony where 17 students graduated with diplomas in Applied Law, Forensic Science and Crime Investigations, Mineral Law and Policy and Commerce and Law.
He said the programmes being offered by ZILS were relevant to the direction that crime investigations was taking.
“In this day, our investigating arm of law enforcement, know that the Constitution now requires of them to conduct investigations in a manner that respects constitutional rights that have been given in the Constitution,” he said.
“One of those rights is the right not to be tortured. If, for example, one is tortured in the course of investigation and that is demonstrated to be the reason why they gave the evidence that we seek to rely on in court, that will kill the whole case.
“This must tell us that we are going into an era where we need smart investigations, modern investigative techniques being applied. That is where forensic science will help us. This, for me, is an important development in an area that now more than before, is demanding us at the constitutional level to give effect to. So you are an important addition to the direction that this country is obliged constitutionally to take.”
Mr Tomana said it was every Zimbabwean’s responsibility to fight the scourge of corruption whenever it was detected.
He said graduates should not condone corruption in any form in the execution of their duties since this vice destroyed the country.
Founder of ZILS Mr Godwills Masimirembwa said yesterday’s graduation was testimony of their perseverance in the face of opposition from the Law Society of Zimbabwe.
“We realised there was a need to close the gap particularly in the specific areas that we are offering studies.
“But the road has not been easy. We had a problem with the Law Society of Zimbabwe, but we were then advised to register through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. So now these qualifications are Hexco (Higher Education Examination Council) approved.
Mines and Mining Development permanent secretary Professor Francis Gudyanga urged the graduates to remain committed to their work.
He said the Diploma in Mineral Law and Policy was relevant to the mining sector as it equipped officials with invaluable skills.
The graduation ceremony was also attended by, among others, Deputy Prosecutor-General Mrs Florence Ziyambi and African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology founder Professor Collen Masimirembwa.
Online Reporter