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Parliament pushes ahead with review of decision to fire Jiba

Nomgcobo Jiba.
Nomgcobo Jiba.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

Parliament is forging ahead with the process of looking into whether President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to fire the NPA’s Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi in line with the Mokgoro report stands or not.

The chairperson of the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services Bulelani Magwanishe said the process would continue on Tuesday as there was no interdict stopping the proceedings.

According to law, the committee has 30 days to review the decision once the president has sent his report to parliament and that deadline expires soon.

“We do not want to be in violation of the law. In terms of the draft programme, we must finish the process by August 27 and report to the National Assembly by September 3,” said Magwanishe.

The committee will sit on Tuesday to either confirm or reverse Ramaphosa’s decision.

Jiba’s lawyers had asked National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise to stop the parliamentary process until the application to review the entire report is finalised.

Ramaphosa in April used the report by retired Constitutional Court justice Yvonne Mokgoro to fire the duo following which Jiba asked the court to set it aside.

The report found that the duo were unfit to hold office. Jiba was the deputy national director of public prosecutions while Mrwebi served as special director of public prosecutions.

In his letters to both Jiba and Mrwebi, Ramaphosa said he was firing them as per the Mokgoro report which found, among other wrongdoings, that they had lied.

Mokgoro in her report said: "Jiba and Mrwebi have been involved in litigation in both their personal and official capacities over the years. They have, however, failed to introspect and reflect on the issues which have beset the NPA with their involvement, as reflected in this report."

She found that Jiba and Mrwebi had failed to display the required competence and capacity in fulfilling their duties.

Mokgoro said Mrwebi's involvement in the withdrawal of charges against the former head of police crime intelligence Richard Mdluli had led to severe criticism from high court judges.

- Additional reporting by Zimasa Matiwane

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