Cape Town - The parliamentary process to remove advocates Nomgcobo Jiba and advocate Lawrence Mrwebi from office at the NPA has been suspended until September 19.
This is to make way for Jiba’s application at the Western Cape High Court to be reinstated.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said yesterday that the agreement was reached by Speaker of the National Assembly Thandi Modise and parties involved in the urgent interdict sought by Jiba to stop President Cyril Ramaphosa from removing her and Mrwebi from office.
“Part A of the main application seeks to reinstate her (Nomgcobo Jiba) and to restore her benefits, while Part B is a review which seeks to set aside the president's decision to remove her and to set aside the findings of the Mokgoro Commission,” Moloto Mothapo said.
He added that Parliament’s agreement to the draft order was motivated by its endeavour to uphold fairness, impartiality and the rule of law.
On Monday, Jiba served Parliament with papers to interdict the parliamentary process regarding removing her from office.
This was pending her legal action to review the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove her from office and the findings of the Mokgoro Commission of Inquiry into her and Mrwebi’s fitness to hold office.
Retired Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro, who headed the commission, recommended the removal of Jiba and Mrwebi.
The duo were fired in April pending Parliament's confirmation.
Briefing the committees on Tuesday, parliamentary legal adviser Siviwe Njikela said that the national legislature had initially received a letter from Jiba’s lawyers informing Speaker Thandi Modise that she had filed an application with the court for the review of Ramaphosa's decision and of the Mokgoro Commission's findings.