News24.com | Praise all-round for Mrwebi and Jiba axing
Lobby group Corruption Watch, the ANC, as well as the DA have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to axe advocates Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi on Thursday evening.
The decision comes after retired Constitutional Court judge, Yvonne Mokgoro recommended that Ramaphosa remove Jiba from office as Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions, as well as Mrwebi from office as Special Director of Public Prosecutions, News24 earlier reported.
“Both have been found to have engaged in a myriad of activities that undermined the rule of law that have grossly impeded the functioning of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)… [These actions] were responsible for destroying public trust in an institution intended to be a pillar of the criminal justice system,” Corruption Watch said in a statement on Friday.
The report, handed to Ramaphosa on March 31, follows an inquiry into the fitness of Jiba and Mrwebi to hold office after their respective suspensions in October 2018.
During the course of the Mogkoro Inquiry various witnesses have accused Jiba and Mrwebi of “playing politics” and compromising the NPA which failed to prosecute high profile cases under their watch.
NPA’s ‘decline’
Former senior NPA prosecutor, advocate Glynnis Breytenbach says that the duo was instrumental in the capture of the NPA.
“The decline of the institution in the last ten years was in no small measure thanks to their efforts. It is thanks to them and their accomplices that we have not yet seen any successful State Capture, Bosasa, or Zuma prosecutions,” Breytenbach said in a statement on Friday.
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Meanwhile, the governing party is of the view that the decisiveness of the President in this matter reflects the ANC’s commitment to revive South Africa and its institutions.
“The ANC has maintained that renewal is a process that must be seen to be fair and just, not a sensationalist event. The ANC- led government has established various Commissions, like the Mokgoro one, even though it may damage the reputations of individuals associated with the ANC.
“It may not be an easy path, but the ANC has chosen to put the country, the people and their needs first,” ANC acting national spokesperson Dakota Legoete said in a statement on Friday.
Jiba has since revealed that she plans to challenge the report while Mrwebi declined to comment at this stage.