Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi‚ executives at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)‚ have been struck from the roll of advocates.

Judge Francis Legodi has ruled in favour of the application the General Council of the Bar (GCB) brought against the two.

 Delivering the judgment at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria‚ Legodi found against the GCB on Sibongile Mzinyathi‚ a third respondent in the application. Mzinyathi is the NPA’s North Gauteng director.

 Judgment was reserved on June 1‚ 2016. Legodi said the court apologised for handing it down more than three months later.

 “Unfortunately‚ it turned out to be a long judgment‚” said Legodi.

 The GCB brought the application last year. The body wanted the three removed from the roll of advocates for how they handled three highly political cases.

 These included the NPA’s decision to drop corruption charges against the former head of the crime intelligence division‚ Richard Mdluli.

 Reading his judgment‚ Legodi said: “The application against Jiba and Mrwebi with regard to their handling of Mdluli’s case is hereby granted …

“The names of Ms Nomgcobo Jiba and Mr Lawrence Sithembiso Mrwebi are hereby struck off the roll.”

This could see the pair losing their jobs at the NPA‚ as the NPA Act says a deputy national director of public prosecutions must “be a fit and proper person‚ with due regard to his or her experience‚ conscientiousness and integrity”.

Legodi also ordered them to pay costs of the application‚ “includ[ing] the costs of two counsel”.

 Advocate Zola Majavu represented them in the matter.