Virginia Mabhiza

Service/Career

2013 to 2023 - Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
She is a registered legal practitioner with wide experience in constitutional matters, prosecuting matters for and on behalf of the state, civil litigation in the Magistrates Court, Labour Court, High Court and Supreme Court. She also has extensive expertise in criminal and civil litigation. She also worked as the acting Permanent Secretary in the then Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs. She was also appointed Director of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs (State Counsel1) in the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs. She has served as the Chief Law Officer in the Civil Division as well as the Legal Drafting Division of the Attorney General’s Office in Harare.

During the Government of National Unity (GNU), Mrs. Mabhiza served as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs and played a crucial role in overseeing the Constitution-making process led by COPAC. She has also represented Zimbabwe in various local, regional, and international forums on matters of justice.

She was also a Non-Executive Director at Alpha Asset Management.

Events

Abuse of Office charges 2017

In 2017, Jonathan Moyo filed charges against Mabhiza with the police alleging that the permanent secretary was interfering with court processes in a bid to influence the outcome of his Constitutional Court (ConCourt) application challenging the arresting powers of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).

It is understood that Moyo filed the charges on the basis of a whistleblower from the ministry who claimed that meetings were held in the Justice ministry boardroom with Zacc members, the National Prosecuting Authority and external counsels ahead of Moyo’s ConCourt hearing.

The whistleblower, in a letter addressed to Cabinet chief secretary Misheck Sibanda dated 13 June 2017, said: “Sir, I am an officer and raising serious concern and reservations on the way Mrs Mabhiza is operating together with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Prosecuting Authority. She is abusing her office and duty influencing us officers to do dubious unprofessional and unlawful things for political gain.”^[4]

Farm Mechanisation Scheme

In July 2020, Virginia Mabhiza was listed, in the BSR of 18 July 2020, as a beneficiary in the 2007 RBZ Farm Mechanisation Scheme, as a result of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme.

The data is analysed by recipients origin:.

• Mashonaland provinces had the most beneficiaries, both in terms of numbers and value.
  

Mashonaland East got US$47,5 million,
Mashonaland West US$44,7 million
Mashonaland Central had US$34,2 million.

• Two Matebeleland provinces had a combined total of US$13,9 million.
• Masvingo US$26,4 million,
• Manicaland US$18 million
• Midlands US$14 million.

Virginia Mabhiza, is listed under the thematic group “Senior Civil Servants”. She is listed as owing US$37,683.00. ^[5]

References