By Kudzaishe Chimonera
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPAZ) says sweeping internal reforms backed by Treasury funding are starting to ease pressure on the country’s courts and prisons.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Prosecutor-General Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo said government support under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) had enabled the institution to roll out a new 2026–2030 strategic plan focused on accountability and high-quality justice delivery.
“This support has been the lifeblood of our transformation, and the results are now tangible across several key areas,” she said.
A key pillar of the reforms has been the restructuring of the authority to address chronic staff shortages and the loss of experienced prosecutors to the private sector and overseas.
The NPAZ has introduced new senior positions, including Deputy Prosecutors-General, a Secretary, 12 Chief Directors, 24 Directors and 12 Deputy Directors creating new layers of management and clearer career paths.
In 2025, the authority recruited 181 officers.
“The objective of this reorganization was twofold to decentralise oversight in line with government’s devolution principle and to provide a clear career progression for professional prosecutors, thereby reducing the ‘brain drain’ to the private sector and foreign jurisdictions,” Justice Matanda-Moyo said.
Before the changes, the authority had been hampered by persistent staff and skills shortages, despite ongoing recruitment efforts.
She said resignations had been driven partly by differences in pay and working conditions across the justice system.
“The harmonisation of conditions of service, was a critical step in addressing these concerns, ensuring public prosecutors no longer felt economically disadvantaged compared to their counterparts on the bench or elsewhere,” she said.
The creation of Chief Directors and Deputy Prosecutors-General has also strengthened specialist oversight and improved the quality of prosecutions in superior courts and in the provinces.
“These reforms are beginning to translate into tangible results, such as reduced to clear backlog and decongest prisons,” Justice Matanda-Moyo added.
