DA encouraged by appointment of Nomvula Mokhatle as acting head of SIU
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is encouraged by the replacement of Nomgcobo Jiba with Nomvula Mokhatle as acting head of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). The moment the President announced that Adv Jiba had been appointed as acting SIU head we raised concerns about her checkered past in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), specifically regarding her involvement in the prosecution of Adv Gerrie Nel.
Given the fiasco surrounding the appointment of Adv Willem Heath, which we also questioned from the outset - as a result of his political alignment with the Zuma faction in the ANC - we were astounded that the President would appoint yet another controversial person to head such a vitally important unit in the fight against corruption in South Africa. It did nothing to inspire confidence that the President is taking this fight seriously or that he is committed to the independence of appointees in the criminal justice system.
To our knowledge, Adv Mokhatle has no such controversy dogging her. She has been a Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (DNDPP) since October 2010, and is an advocate of the High Court. She has held several leadership positions in the Women Lawyer's Association in Tshwane, the Tax Board, the Black Lawyers' Association and various Bar Councils.
We are thus cautiously optimistic about this move, and welcome the fact that the President appears to have taken seriously our concerns regarding the incumbent of this position. We sincerely trust that the President and Justice Minister will proceed to remedy the disasters of recent times, and urge the President to take all necessary steps to ensure that the new head of the SIU is a person of the utmost integrity who will execute his or her duties in a free, fair and impartial manner.
The credibility of the justice system depends on it.
Statement issued by Debbie Schafer MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, December 22 2011
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