Johannesburg - It will be business as usual at the corruption-busting Special Investigating Unit as President Jacob Zuma deals with finding an interim replacement for advocate Vas Soni, who resigned suddenly last week.
Speculation is that Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Nomvula Mokhatla could act in the position once Soni leaves at the end of next month.
Another person rumoured to be in the running is Mokhatla’s fellow Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba, but this is unlikely considering the controversies surrounding her recently.
In December 2011, Mokhatla, who was appointed deputy national director of public prosecutions in December 2010, was elected acting head of the SIU by Zuma.
Mokhatla acted after former SIU head Willie Hofmeyr left.
Jiba has also acted in the position before Soni’s permanent appointment when she replaced Willem Heath.
Heath resigned under a cloud of controversy when he accused former president Thabo Mbeki of initiating the rape and corruption charges against Zuma.
“I’m not in a position to say who will take over. All we know is that work is continuing as normal. We are just waiting for the president or until we get a formal decision,” said SIU spokeswoman Sefura Mongalo.
The SIU was established by the Presidency in 2001 to investigate maladministration and corruption in the public sector and to institute civil proceedings to recover losses.
Before Soni’s appointment, the institution was without a permanent head for more than a year.
DA justice spokeswoman Glynnis Breytenbach said Jiba was rumoured to be Soni’s successor.
“This is the very last individual President Zuma should appoint to head the SIU. If Zuma appoints Jiba as SIU boss, it would be the death of yet another crucial anti-crime and corruption unit,” said Breytenbach.
She said Jiba had a “chequered” career in the National Prosecuting Authority and had been preoccupied with “quick and easy access to power in exchange for political favours for President Zuma”.
“She has not only destroyed her own credibility, but has helped to destroy one of the crucial institutions of our democracy,” said Breytenbach.
Zuma said on Monday night he had received Soni’s resignation “with regret”.
He said Soni had resigned for personal reasons.
The Presidency also issued a statement in response to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, who stated that the government had disbanded the Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT).
The SIU is one of the crime fighting agency members of the task team.
Spokesman Mac Maharaj said measures used to strengthen the anti-corruption work of the government included the setting up of the SIU.
The Star