Attorney-General of Zimbabwe

The Office of the Attorney-General of Zimbabwe (AG) falls under the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe. In November 2013, the prosecuting and government advisory roles of the Attorney-General were split under the new Constitution. The Attorney-General at that time, Johannes Tomana, became Prosecutor-General.{{cite web|url=http://www.justice.gov.zw/index.php/attorney-general-s-office|title=Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs|publisher=Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs|access-date=30 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603175649/http://www.justice.gov.zw/index.php/attorney-general-s-office|archive-date=3 June 2016|url-status=dead}} The Attorney-General is the chief legal advisor of the government of Zimbabwe and also sits as a member of the Senate.

The current Attorney-General since 2023 is Virginia Mabiza, the first woman to hold the position.{{Cite web |last=Chingwere |first=Mukudzei |date=2023-09-28 |title=President appoints first female Attorney General |url=https://www.herald.co.zw/president-appoints-first-female-attorney-general/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Herald |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Barwe |first=Reuben |date=2023-11-06 |title=New Attorney General Virginia Mabhiza sworn in |url=https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2023/11/new-attorney-general-virginia-mabhiza-sworn-in/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Zimbabwean}}

History

Ahmed Ebrahim, appointed by Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, was the first Attorney-General of Zimbabwe.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ff-F2wS_YW4C&pg=PA155|title=A Predictable Tragedy: Robert Mugabe and the Collapse of Zimbabwe|last=Compagnon|first=Daniel|date=2011-06-06|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0812200041|pages=155|language=en}}

In November 2013, the position was dissolved and replaced by the Prosecutor General of Zimbabwe. In February 2015, the office of Attorney-General was revived alongside the Prosecutor-General.{{cite web |title=Mugabe appoints new Attorney General |date=20 February 2015 |url=http://nehandaradio.com/2015/02/20/mugabe-appoints-new-attorney-general/ |access-date=30 April 2016 |publisher=Nehanda Radio}}

List of attorneys-general

class="wikitable" style="clear:right; text-align:center" !{{Abbr\|No.\|Number}} !Name !Took office !Left office !Party !Appointed by
1 \|Ahmed Ebrahim \|1980 \|1982 \|ZANU–PF \| rowspan="2" \|Canaan Banana
2 \|Godfrey Chidyausiku \|1982 \|1989 \|ZANU–PF
3 \|Patrick Chinamasa \|26 April 1989{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYD86qKNnH0C\|title=Parliamentary Debates\|last=Assembly\|first=Zimbabwe Parliament House of\|date=1989-07-06\|publisher=order of the House of Assembly\|pages=101\|language=en}} \|2000 \|ZANU–PF \| rowspan="8" \|Robert Mugabe
4 \|Andrew Chigovera \|July 2000 \|April 2003 \|ZANU–PF
style="background: #E6E6AA;" \|{{color\|black\|–}} \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|Bharat Patel {{small\|Acting}} \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|April 2003 \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|2006 \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|
5 \|Sobusa Gula-Ndebele \|2006 \|15 December 2007 \|ZANU–PF
style="background: #E6E6AA;" \|{{color\|black\|–}} \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|Bharat Patel {{small\|Acting}} \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|May 2008 \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|December 2008 \| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" \|
6 \|Johannes Tomana \|3 March 2009 \|November 2013 \|ZANU–PF
colspan="5" \|{{Small\|In November 2013, the office of Attorney-General was dissolved and replaced by the Prosecutor-General. In February 2015, the office of Attorney General was revived.}}
rowspan="2" \|7 \| rowspan="2" \|Prince Machaya \| rowspan="2" \|February 2015 \| rowspan="2" \|October 2023 \| rowspan="2" \|ZANU–PF
rowspan="2" \|Emmerson Mnangagwa
8 \|Virginia Mabhiza \|November 2023 \| \|

class="wikitable" style="clear:right; text-align:center"

!{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

!Name

!Took office

!Left office

!Party

!Appointed by

|Ahmed Ebrahim

|1980

|1982

|ZANU–PF

| rowspan="2" |Canaan Banana

|Godfrey Chidyausiku

|1982

|1989

|ZANU–PF

|Patrick Chinamasa

|26 April 1989{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYD86qKNnH0C|title=Parliamentary Debates|last=Assembly|first=Zimbabwe Parliament House of|date=1989-07-06|publisher=order of the House of Assembly|pages=101|language=en}}

|2000

|ZANU–PF

| rowspan="8" |Robert Mugabe

|Andrew Chigovera

|July 2000

|April 2003

|ZANU–PF

style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{color|black|–}}

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Bharat Patel
{{small|Acting}}

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |April 2003

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |2006

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|Sobusa Gula-Ndebele

|2006

|15 December 2007

|ZANU–PF

style="background: #E6E6AA;" |{{color|black|–}}

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Bharat Patel
{{small|Acting}}

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |May 2008

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |December 2008

| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|Johannes Tomana

|3 March 2009

|November 2013

|ZANU–PF

colspan="5" |{{Small|In November 2013, the office of Attorney-General was dissolved and replaced by the Prosecutor-General. In February 2015, the office of Attorney General was revived.}}

rowspan="2" |7

| rowspan="2" |Prince Machaya

| rowspan="2" |February 2015

| rowspan="2" |October 2023

| rowspan="2" |ZANU–PF

rowspan="2" |Emmerson Mnangagwa

|Virginia Mabhiza

|November 2023

List of prosecutors-general

Johannes Tomana, November 2013 – June 2017
Ray Gaba (acting), June 2017 –

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20081201091045/http://www.justice.gov.zw/departments/Attorney-General/attorneygoffice.htm Attorney-General's office]

Category:Politics of Zimbabwe