Kumbirai Hodzi

Kumbirai Hodzi
Kumbirai Hodzi
Occupation	Legal;
Title	Prosecutor General
Successor	Nelson Mutsonziwa

Kumbirai Hodzi is a Zimbabwean lawyer and the former Prosecutor General of Zimbabwe. He was appointed and sworn in in January 2019 following interviews in December 2018. In the public interviews, he came 6th best but no reason was given on why he was chosen ahead of the other 5 interviewees. Before becoming PG, he acted in the position since July 2018.

In November 2019, during the interview for the substantive post of PG, Hodzi was questioned by the Judicial Service Commission panel on his failure to effectively prosecute high profile corruption cases in his first 93 days and his pre-emptying of investigations through premature press briefings.

Education

Hodzi holds a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a first class Master’s degree in International Public Law (University of Lund, Sweden). He is studying towards a doctorate in International Law.^[1]

Career

Prior to his appointment as acting prosecutor general, Hodzi was the Deputy Prosecutor General.^[2]

Hodzi was also a prosecutor and law officer for many years, and was once attached to the Criminal Tribunal. He also practiced as a solicitor in the United Kingdom. Hodzi served as a law lecturer, legal proctor and chairperson of the Legal Advice Clinic.^[1]

Appointment as PG

In December 2018, Hodzi was one the public interviewees for the substantive position of Prosecutor General. He came 6th best after, Mantsebo Tichaona (1), Tinomudaishe Chinyoka (2), Nisheck Hogwe (3), Maphios Cheda (4) and Jessie Majome (5).

Results of Public Interviews for PG Zimbabwe December 2018

Hodzi was however appointed the Prosecutor General of Zimbabwe by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in January 2019, ahead of the 5. No reason was given publicly on this choice.

Comment on Corruption

In February 2020 Hodzi said some sections of key institutions of the state were captured by cartels, making th job of fighting corruption difficult. He was speaking at a capacity building workshop on anti-corruption for the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) Economic Thematic Committee. Said Hodzi:

We have got sections in the judiciary, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the National Prosecutors Authority and even from the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) who are controlled by cartels and manipulate investigations and this is pulling the country’s economy down.
Manifestations of corruption are all around us. When you trace the reasons behind serious shortages of fuel, medicine and electricity that the country is experiencing at the moment, they all lead back to corruption by these cartels^[3]

Following his comments, Vice President Kembo Mohadi told parliament that the PG’s comments were his “personal opinions”. Defence deputy minister Victor Matemadanda said the PG needed to surrender his job if he felt he was being impeded in going after corrupt individuals.^[4]

Controversy

While still acting PG, Hodzi controversially said that no one had been killed by the police or army during the January 2019 Protests. This statement, however, contradicted the findings of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission whose 22 January report said that a verified death of Tinashe Choto of a gunshot wound was the result of a clash between the police and protestors in Makoni, Chitungwiza.^[5]

Resignation

On 1 March 2022, the office of the President and Cabinet announced that Kumbirai Hodzi had resigned due to ill health requiring medical attention. In a statement by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda said Hodzi would be deployed elsewhere when he got better.^[6]