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Flawed appointments put Zuma in a fix

TOP BRASS: Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel, director-general Nonkululeko Sindani and head of policy Jacob Skosana at a media briefing in Cape Town yesterday on the transformation of the judicial system and the role of the courts in a developmental state. PHOTO: SIYABULELA DUDA
TOP BRASS: Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel, director-general Nonkululeko Sindani and head of policy Jacob Skosana at a media briefing in Cape Town yesterday on the transformation of the judicial system and the role of the courts in a developmental state. PHOTO: SIYABULELA DUDA

WHILE Justice Minister Jeff Radebe looks at the role of the courts, crucial components of the justice and safety cluster have been rudderless due to flawed or inept appointments.

In recent months, several of President Jacob Zuma's appointments have come under the spotlight .

From the controversial appointment of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to the suspension of national police commissioner Bheki Cele and the removal of top corruption buster Willie Hofmeyr as head of the special investigating unit (SIU), Zuma has had to put out fires - including in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

The most damning indictment is probably that of National Prosecuting Authority boss, Menzi Simelane.

In December, the SCA ruled that Zuma acted "irrationally" in appointing Simelane in 2009, pronouncing his appointment as unconstitutional and invalid. This has to be resolved in the Constitutional Court, leaving the NPA with an acting boss.

Musical chairs in the NPA continued after Zuma removed Hofmeyr - whom many view as a champion graft buster - to replace him with his former legal adviser, Willem Heath. Heath resigned two weeks later after an uproar following his statements about former president Thabo Mbeki's alleged role in the fraud and corruption charges against Zuma in 2007.

Zuma then appointed controversial advocate Nomgcobo Jiba as acting SIU head only to replace her with advocate Nomvula Mokhatla and then moving her to act as NPA head.

In 2007, Jiba was suspended from the NPA to face a disciplinary hearing into her involvement in the arrest of Gauteng Scorpions' head Gerrie Nel.

In October last year, Zuma was forced to suspend national police commissioner Bheki Cele after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela 's findings that Cele had acted improperly and unlawfully when he tried to lease - at highly inflated rentals - buildings from politically connected property mogul Roux Shabangu.

A board of inquiry into Cele's conduct commences on Monday.

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