Government has transformed the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) into an independent National Prosecution Authority (NPA) which also targets to create over 1,700 jobs countrywide when fully functional.
All criminal prosecution functions would now be vested in the NPA to operate under the National Prosecution Authority Act, No. 34 of 2010.
Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said prior to enactment of the NPA Act, the DPP used prosecutors from other law enforcement agencies to prosecute criminal cases in subordinate courts at district level.
Mr Kabimba was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the induction of NPA Board members where he challenged them to ensure cases recommended for prosecution had over a 90 per cent success rate if taken to court.
“NPA will promote the integrity and enhance the status of State advocates and prosecutors to promote honourable and good practices and increase the confidence of the public in State advocates and prosecutors,” he said.
NPA Board chairperson is DPP Mutembo Nchito while his vice is Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Josephs Akafumba.
Other members include Public Service Management Division Permanent Secretary Velepi Mtonga, Ministry of Labour Permanent Secretary Trevor Kaunda, a bank and administrator Kelly Mwanamwale, a legal practitioner Dean Mwansa Mumba and Mbololwa Muyaba, chief
administrator NPA.
Mr Kabimba said the NPA would develop, promote and enforce internationally comparable practice standards for prosecutors and ensure rules and guidelines for professional ethics were responsive to effective administration of criminal justice.
He said it would implement an effective prosecution mechanism that would maintain the rule of law and contribute to fair and equitable criminal justice and effective protection of citizens against crime.
He said the NPA would also appoint State advocates and prosecutors and promote appropriate standards of practice by State advocates and prosecutors in criminal prosecution.
The authority would conduct research into various disciplines of law to study the role that prosecution mechanisms should play in establishing effective rule of law and human rights to bring the law in line with developments and best practices of other countries.
Mr Kabimba said the NPA was reinforced by President Michael Sata’s policy pronouncement on the establishment of the office of the District Attorney in all the districts.
“The establishment of the office of the District Attorney entails decentralisation of prosecution services in the quest to make prosecution of cases more efficient by enhancing the delivery and dispensation of justice,” he said.
He urged the Board to expedite implementation of President Sata’s policy pronouncement and that they should take a proactive approach in the administration of the criminal justice system.
He said the Board should have an objective state of mind coupled with fairness adding that they should maintain confidentiality as they carried out their core duties.
The Minister said in 2012, the Government approved the organisational structure of NPA that had a staff establishment of 1,712 positions spread across the country.
NPA currently existed in only five districts namely Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Livingstone and Kitwe.
Mr Kabimba said a robust staff capacity was competent to prosecute emerging crimes such as financial and white color cases which would entail intensive training programmes for the prosecutors.
Government would further revamp operations of the legal aid system to ensure a professional balance between NPA and legal aid.
He said the current delivery of criminal justice was besieged with many challenges and the Board should ensure cases recommended for prosecution had over 90 per cent of a success rate if taken to court.
He said people found misappropriating public funds among others politicians and public officers should be successfully prosecuted and convicted expeditiously.
And Mr Nchito assured Zambians that the Board would work diligently to ensure effective delivery of the criminal justice system and at the same time fighting corruption.
He said the Board would keenly follow all pertinent issues of public interest and was confident the NPA structure would be decentralised to create more jobs in line with Government’s desire.
In attendance at the induction were Attorney General Mumba Malila, Solicitor General Musa Mwenya, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani and Anti-Corruption Commission director Rosewyn Wandi.
Changing the name wont save Muntembo Nchinto and Fred Meembe and Zambian people will never forget the damage these people have done to the nation, maybe just tell them to payback 14 billion they are allegedly borrowed. PF ma rubbish.
@Mwiponta, ur a troglodyte
Mutembo Nchito and his colleague Fred Mmembwe at the Post have still not paid back the K 14 billion loan plus interest now well over K 5 billion to Development Bank of Zambia. No matter how much good they do they will always be tainted and grouped as plunders until the monies including interest are paid back to the public bank. Thus @Mwiponta Mukabwela is right. The Zambian public doesn’t forget such big amounts especially when majority of people are suffering. Payback will come one day.
@ Zemuntu, I totally agree with you.
Sticky fingers fits the description too
@ zemuntu wabipa pamenso kwati chitombuwa, you gat no manners that’s you PF cadre you support PF when they are destrying our country, and that explains why Fr Bwalya has come back from PF, and you gonna sit up all of you PF cadres.
@Mwiponta.
you are a RIFF-RAFF!!!!!!!
@ Think B4 you comment, Bawiso ukubipa like a PF cadre.
Sounds like a lot of jobs… and that will be the most corrupt government agency, it will surpass the top ranking Libongani’s ZP. You can’t continue using mafia Mutomba Nchito forever… when people don’t like a person, just send him somewhere as a diplomat.
The NPA is a step in the right direction that will increase efficiency and dispensation of justice. It’s good that at least 1700 professional jobs will be created plus DPP Nchito will be chairman so he can’t do the nonsense and abuse of ‘nolle prosequi’ deals he’s done lately. I just hope the new jobs created will be well paying so as to reduce corruption in NPA.
A Board stuffed with corrupt PF cadres! You can change the number plates as many as you like, but it is the same chimbayambaya you’ve been driving from the time the corrupt PF came into power!
Some of these initiatives are actually very good. the problem is they carry the same names of people.this casts a lot of doubts on motives and one wonders how transformation can come about
The problem I have is each time anything that comes from Kabimba,no matter how well meaning, becomes questionable. Sata will do well removing that man from that critical ministry. A leopard can never change its spots in Wynter and Nchito.
National Prosecution Authority Act, No. 34 of 2010.
……2010????
I am confused. Does it mean that the NPa IS MMD’s baby?
It is MMD’s baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ask any of the lawyers there. It dates back to mukelabai’s time. So the Saint, dont be confused. GK signed the Order.
this looks like a good step in the right direction, i hope these guys can be given complete autonomy unlike the situation we had were the arresting offices had the power to prosecute i.e the cops, we can now have independent people who can even scrutinise whether the cases have merit or not
Its very difficult for someone with criminal intent to do good things. no matter how hard he tries to sugar-coat his/her action. We are aware that the current DPP(Nchito), and by implication, the appointing authority do NOT have a CLEAN past. Changing names here and there, and saying good things about these characters wont change the fact the whole bunch at the DPP/NPA stinks corruption, theft, forgery and other criminal activities!!