PROSECUTOR GENERAL Johannes Tomana says he is not an “easy” man to get rid of adding  he “serves at the President’s pleasure” and those seeking to tarnish his image should not expect to succeed in their agenda.Tomana said this as he came under fire for reportedly saying girls as young as 12 can give consent to sex and should be heard by the courts if they wish to start families with older men.

Leading the campaign against Tomana was information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, who posted on his Twitter that the utterances by the country’s top prosecutor ‘compromised’ his office.

The opposition said Tomana should go if what was reported in the media was anything to go by.

MDC-T Spokesperson Obert Gutu said although he had not yet seen the original transcript of what was said by Tomana, if what was attributed to him was true, then he must resign.

“As a lawyer, I can only give a substantive comment after I have had an occasion to peruse the transcript of what he exactly said. It is not proper for me to comment on something that I have not had an opportunity to peruse and study,” said Gutu.

“But if indeed he said what the media reports he said, then he is certainly not fit for purpose as the country’s Prosecutor-General.”

“His views are primitive, archaic and reminiscent of the dark ages. The guy should simply resign in shame failing which, the relevant Constitutional provisions should be invoked to ensure that he is dismissed from office,” Gutu added.

But in an interview with Newzimbabwe.com, Tomana denied reports that he had supported child marriages, accusing the state media and Zanu PF bigwigs of twisting his Wednesday comments to suit their agenda.

Without elaborating Tomana said his comments on the emotive issue, which have invited the wrath of the civil society, were twisted.

“I never said that… there are people who want to scandalise my professional career by attributing what I did not say to me.

“The reporter who interviewed me has a recording which I want you and the rest to listen to,” he said.

The controversial Tomana said the state media was being used by some people to achieve their political ends and to ensure that he is kicked out.

“There is a clique that has been working tirelessly and now they thought that they should scandalise me and force me to quit.

“I am not that easy and they must forget about that. I serve at the pleasure of the President.

“This is a political war manifesting itself in this unfortunate situation where people go the extent of twisting facts to fit in their agendas,” he said.

Tomana is currently embroiled in a nasty office fight with his deputy Florence Ziyambi and recently they almost fought in public at their offices.

Besides the political fights, Tomana is also accused of refusing to prosecute Zanu PF MP Munyaradzi Kereke on allegations of raping a minor despite court orders instructing him to do so.

The Supreme Court recently ordered that he should give the family of the girl a certificate for private prosecution – but Tomana has refused.

Tomana’s comments which were made in Bulawayo came as child rights activists demand tougher legislation in Zimbabwe to boost legal protection for young girls.

The current legal age of sexual consent is 16 but the new Constitution says those under 18 are “not capable of founding a family”.
The courts have increasingly accepted children between 12 and 16 as capable of giving consent.

The Friday report said Tomana defended the courts and said judges should respect the wishes of girls under the age of 16 who gave their consent to underage sex and want to get married, because there are few alternatives for school dropouts.
Source: newzimbabwe