Cape Town - Justice Minister Michael Masutha on Thursday said he could not yet give clarity about the future of embattled national prosecutions chief Mxolisi Nxasana or the outcome of a call to suspend three other top NPA officials.
Nxasana has for four months been fighting the threat of removal from office since President Jacob Zuma announced an inquiry into his fitness for the post.
“We have not yet reached a point where we can make an announcement as to what the status of the matter is, save to say it is still very much being dealt with between our office and of course the office of the presidency,” Masutha told a media briefing by Cabinet's security cluster of ministries in Cape Town.
He confirmed that the presidency was pursuing the matter “further outside court”, as Zuma told the National Assembly in August. This was after Nxasana applied for a court order barring the president from suspending him until he was given reasons and an opportunity to make representations.
Zuma never announced the terms of reference for an inquiry. Nxasana recently denied media reports that he rejected an offer from the president of a R5 million golden handshake.
The minister said he could also not shed light on whether former acting National Prosecuting Authority head Nomgcobo Jiba, Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit head Lawrence Mrwebi, and provincial director of public prosecutions in Pretoria, Sibongile Mzinyathi, would be suspended.
Nxasana called for their suspension in July after criminal charges of perjury were brought against them. These stemmed from the court case that successfully overturned the NPA's decision to drop criminal charges against suspended police crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli.
“We did receive representations relating to the other senior officials in the NPA and we are also dealing with that specific matter,” Masutha said.
“Again we are not yet in a position to give details as to where we are with that specific matter, except that it is very much before us.”
Sapa