Spy Tapes: NPA once again misses deadline and is in contempt of a court order
30 June 2015
The DA notes that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has yet again failed to file its heads of argument in relation to the DA’s review application to have the decision to drop the 783 charges of corruption, racketeering and fraud lodged against President Jacob Zuma declared irrational and set aside.
By failing to file its papers on time, the NPA is, in fact, in contempt of an order of the court agreed to by all parties at the North Gauteng High Court on 16 March 2015.
The NPA had originally agreed to file its heads of argument on Friday last week (26 June 2015) but missed this deadline, for no discernible reason at all. The NPA requested leave to file its papers by the close of business yesterday, but failed even to comply with this. Having missed a deadline set by the NPA themselves, they have now intimated that they might file its papers tomorrow without providing any clear assurances to that effect.
After the NPA agreed to two separate dates by which to file its heads of argument and failed to meet both deadlines, the only logical conclusion is that the NPA is intent on delaying the hearing of this matter for as long as possible even though this process has already been frustrated for more than six years at the taxpayers expense.
On 16 March this year all parties agreed to a timeline by which to file the relevant documents in this matter. While the DA is mindful that there would be unforeseeable and reasonable delays; the DA asserts that the NPA’s chronic tardiness in filing its papers serves no other purpose than to frustrate this process even further.
The NPA is a critical state institution at the centre of our criminal justice system and in terms of section 179 of the Constitution is tasked with prosecuting on behalf of the state and ensuring justice is done. Its consistent failure to carry out the rudimentary tasks of its function by filing its papers on time does not inspire any confidence that it is currently up to the task.
The South African people deserve better than a prosecuting authority that is politically compromised and ineffectual.
Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of the DA’s Federal Executive, June 30 2015
