ID'S PATRICIA DE LILLE SLAMS ‘SHOCKING APPOINTMENT' OF MENZI SIMELANE AS NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

ID President Patricia de Lille has slammed the ‘shocking appointment' of Menzi Simelane, ‘the arrogant, almost definitely dishonest' former justice director general and later the Deputy Director of the NPA, as the country's new National Director of Public Prosecutions (see here).

‘That President Jacob Zuma can appoint someone that was accused by Frene Ginwala's panel of deceiving Brigitte Mabandla, his former boss and Justice Minister, and of interfering with the NPA's independence, shows the President's disregard for the independence of the NPA,' Ms De Lille says.

The Ginwala Commission found that Simelane had penned a letter for Mabandla instructing Pikoli to suspend his probe into former Police Chief Jackie Selebi.

‘Does the fact that Mabandla's successor, Enver Surty, asked the Public Service Commission to investigate Simelane's conduct and that the Commission recommended he be charged with misconduct and be subjected to a disciplinary inquiry, mean nothing to the President?'

In December last year the ID Leader laid a charge against Mabandla based on the findings of the Ginwala Commission, in terms of Section 32 (1) (b) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, which reads,

"Subject to the Constitution and this act, no organ of state, and no member or employee of an organ of state nor any other person shall improperly interfere with, hinder or obstruct the prosecuting authority or any member thereof in the exercise, carrying our or performance of its, his or her powers, duties and functions."

On page 178 of her report, Ginwala said the letter instructing Pikoli to halt his prosecution of Selebi could represent a breach of the NPA Act, ‘an allegation that should be urgently investigated by the NPA,' De Lille said at the time.

‘It is becoming clear that the ANC under Jacob Zuma is no different to the ANC under Thabo Mbeki when it comes to respect for the independence of the NPA,' says De Lille.

Statement issued by Patricia de Lille, leader of the Independent Democrats, November 25 2009

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