South Africa’s apex court rules appointment of Zuma’s chief prosecutor ‘invalid’

Mon, Aug 13, 2018 | By publisher


Judiciary

SOUTH Africa’s Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the appointment of chief prosecutor Shaun Abrahams was “constitutionally invalid”.

The court’s ruling, upheld a decision by a lower court that found Abrahams was improperly
appointed by former president Jacob Zuma.

Abrahams had appealed the earlier High Court judgment that ruled that the removal of his predecessor,
Mxolisi Nxasana, was unlawful and that his own appointment be revoked.

Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga found that the manner in which former prosecutions boss Nxasana vacated office was invalid and therefore it had a knock-on effect on Abrahams’ appointment.

Madlanga found that former President Jacob Zuma was bent on removing Nxasana at all costs and effectively bought him out with a R17 million settlement.

The judge found that this compromised the independence of the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions, which rendered his vacation of office invalid.

NAN reports that in November 2017, the court heard that Zuma had “bullied” former national director of public prosecutions  Nxasana out of office by using an inquiry into his fitness to hold the positio

Since his appointment, Abrahams has been accused of displaying bias in favour of Zuma around criminal cases that have come before the courts.

Abrahams has denied the allegations. (Reuters/NAN)

– Aug. 13, 2018 @ 10:25 GMT |

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