PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is coming under increasing pressure to fire Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi after they were struck off the roll on Thursday by the high court in Pretoria.
Former head of the National Prosecuting Authority Mxolisi Nxasana made the call for the axing of the two prosecutors at the weekend.
Opposition parties in Parliament have also called on Zuma to fire Jiba and Mrwebi after the high court judgment in Pretoria.
Nxasana was given a golden handshake from the NPA after a protracted battle with Zuma.
Jiba, who is the deputy national director of Public Prosecutions, and Mrwebi, the head of the special commercial crimes unit, went on special leave last Friday. This was a day after the court’s damning judgment. They were sued by the General Council of the Bar.
Nxasana said their suspension wasn’t good enough and called on Zuma to fire them.
The bar association wanted them removed as advocates. Their job requires that they be admitted as advocates to occupy the two NPA positions.
However, Jiba and Mrwebi have since appealed against the high court’s decision.
NPA head Shaun Abrahams will continue in his position without the two prosecutors.
Last week, Jiba and Mrwebi were part of the anti-corruption task team that was briefing the standing committee on public accounts about its work. They faced a grilling until Jiba came to the rescue of Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza who was fumbling answers to questions raised by members of Scopa.
Jiba has been accused of doing Zuma’s bidding in the NPA by blocking any attempt to bring charges against the president.
She was promoted to her new position of deputy director after Abrahams approved a new NPA structure.
This caught many parties by surprise. They argued that she did not deserve to be given such a top position.
Zuma is in New York to attend the 71st session of the UN General Assembly and is expected to return in the next few days, but is unclear he will accede to the request to axe Jiba and Mrwebi.
His spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga could not be reached for comment at the time of publication yesterday.
The NPA has said it would allow the law to run its course before taking a decision.
This meant that the NPA will wait for all appeal processes in the highest courts.
The prosecuting authority has been dogged by infighting and control for power and has seen several heads coming and going. None of its former heads has completed their full term of office.