Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has exceeded its asset recovery targets, reclaiming over USD $8 million worth of properties and assets for the national treasury, and securing freezing orders on suspected illegally acquired assets valued at more than USD $15 million.
Prosecutor General Loice Matanda-Moyo said this while delivering her keynote address at the authority`s 2026 strategic plan review workshop held here.
She said the achievements reflect a significant shift in how NPAZ tackles corruption, moving from a defensive stance to what she described as an “unapologetic offensive”.
“Corruption remains a pervasive threat to our nation, but our posture has fundamentally shifted from containment to an unapologetic offensive.
“The anti-corruption courts are now fully operational and are carrying a significant workload, efficiently processing high-profile cases. This operational efficiency has yielded tangible outcomes,” Matanda-Moyo explained.
Among the most significant achievements of the past year, the Prosecutor General noted, was the recovery of over USD $8 million for the state and the freezing of over USD $15 million in assets suspected to have been illegally acquired.
“The authority also secured 17 convictions in high-profile corruption cases. These convictions are not just statistics. They send a clear message that the era of impunity is over,” she said.
Matanda Moyo also cited a landmark ruling on the conclusion of the Hurungwe Rural District Council corruption case, where the High Court handed down some of the toughest sentences in Zimbabwean judicial history for abuse of office.
“In that case, Luke Kalavina and others received sentences of up to 70 years each, with individual counts carrying 18- and 16-year terms.
“We celebrate these sentences because they demonstrate that the criminal justice delivery system does not tolerate corruption.
“We are not merely securing convictions; we are resetting the tone of governance in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Matanda-Moyo also stressed that the fight against corruption extends to within the prosecuting authority itself.
“The conviction of Prosecutor Pardon Dziva, along with the ongoing trials of other prosecutors including some based in Bulawayo illustrates the NPAZ’s commitment to rooting out corruption internally.
“There are no sacred cows in this fight. In 2025, we strengthened our Ethics and Integrity systems to ensure that we exemplify the integrity we expect from others. This rigorous self-policing will continue into 2026 and beyond,” she said.
The Prosecutor-General also commended the strengthening of collaboration between the authority, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), noting that these partnerships have been fully operationalised and are growing in effectiveness.
She further said joint prosecutor-guided investigations had significantly improved the speed of case processing, cutting the time from investigation to indictment in complex cases by 50 percent.
Turning to efficiency and backlog reduction, Matanda-Moyo highlighted the strides the authority has made in reducing delays in the justice system.
She confirmed that NPAZ was making significant headway in its mission to clear case backlogs and streamline its operations.
“We exceeded our set targets every year. In 2025, by the third quarter, we had already surpassed our clearance goals.
“Our quarterly clearance rate has climbed from 62.2 percent to 68.9 percent, culminating in a remarkable 74.9 percent clearance rate for the first three quarters of 2025,” Matanda-Moyo said.
She attributed these gains to a disciplined, multi-pronged strategy that includes the Enhanced Case Management System, a strict no-postponement policy, improved trial readiness, and stronger oversight of case preparation.
The Prosecutor-General also noted a 35 percent reduction in unnecessary state-initiated postponements, calling it “clear proof” of the strategy’s effectiveness.
“In the High Court, further progress was made in clearing murder case backlogs. Thanks to the work of the Specialized Backlog Elimination Task Force and targeted High Court circuits, such as the Midlands Special Circuit, 137 out of 150 outstanding murder cases were cleared, a 91 percent clearance rate with an impressive 98 percent conviction rate.
“This is the power of collaboration. Our strategic partnerships, internal reforms, and unwavering resolve are all driving us toward one goal, thus a corruption-free Zimbabwe where justice is swift, fair, and uncompromising,” said Matanda-Moyo.
New Ziana
