HARARE – Zimbabwe’s lawyers will this month boycott work to protest alleged harassment and persecution by state security agents and the Attorney General's (AG) office.

The lawyers decided to boycott work on November 16 at a meeting held in Harare on Wednesday under the auspices of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ), the representative body for the legal profession in the country.

The lawyers decided to act following the arrest on Monday of Harare-based media and human rights lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu for writing a letter to the AG, Johannes Tomana, advising him that his client, Peter Hitshman – a key state witness in the trial of MDC treasurer Roy Bennett – would not be able to testify because the evidence that he gave was obtained through torture.

"We have resolved to boycott our court duties on November 16 and attend Mahlangu's court case as a show of protest. We will also write a letter of complaint to the Minister of Justice (Patrick Chinamasa), AG, Police Commissioner (Augustine Chihuri) and High Court Judge President (Rita Makarau) outlining our complaints against the manner and conduct of the AG," said Chris Mhike, an LSZ representative.

"There is also the possibility of boycotting the 2010 opening of the judicial year at the High Court if our concerns are not addressed by that time," he added.

A number of lawyers have been arrested during the year, particularly those handling cases related to politics and human rights issues. Among those arrested and charged by the state is Alec Muchadehama who is on trial for attempting to defeat the course of justice when he went to the High Court to demand the release of a client who had been granted bail.

The planned protest will be the second such action by lawyers this year after they staged another protest last May following the arrest of Muchadehama. However Chinamasa did not give the lawyers an audience.

Of particular concern to the lawyers is the continued arrests and what they allege is unprofessional behaviour by the AG.

Tomana, a self proclaimed ZANU PF sympathiser, is regarded as among hardliner supporters of President Robert Mugabe working to derail the power-sharing government between the veteran President and his former opposition foes Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara.

Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party have questioned Tomana’s tenure at the AG’s department, insisting that he must be dismissed because Mugabe did not consult his coalition partners before appointing him to the post.

Under the global political agreement that gave birth to Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government Mugabe must consult his coalition partners before making senior appointments. – ZimOnline