State capture is often cited as the the reason for the department’s ongoing failures, but its problems run far deeper
The initial commitment, informed by the constitutional dream of the struggle, has been trundled underfoot by ministers and presidents
Former president Thabo Mbeki and former justice minister Brigitte Mabandla have filed affidavits in support of the decision to fire NPA Vusi Pikoli.
Cabinet on Wednesday conceded that the SAA board had consulted with the relevant minister on the settlement reached with CEO Khaya Ngqula.
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/ 13 January 2009
The ANC parliamentary caucus has asked party lawyers to review the NPA Act in the wake of Monday’s judgement in the Jacob Zuma case.
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/ 31 October 2008
SA may face fresh power cuts early in 2009 because the level of voluntary energy savings has fallen below the required 10%.
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/ 21 September 2008
The success of the Jacob Zuma application took many by surprise. To be fair, the lengthy and reasoned judgement is hardly without legal controversy.
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/ 19 September 2008
Last week’s judgement in the Jacob Zuma corruption trial has several potentially far-reaching implications.
The National Assembly approves law amendments to allow women born out of customary marriages to inherit from their deceased parents’ estate.
Johannesburg businessman Hugh Glenister’s bid to stop the disbandment of the Scorpions will come before the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
How justice boss asked Vusi Pikoli’s staff to spy on him, helped the ANC with its anti-Scorpions submission, and told Mbeki the NPA was after him.
Suspended prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli did not flinch on Friday when lawyers for his employer said that he lacked judgement.
Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla’s order against the prosecution of Jackie Selebi was a criminal instruction, Vusi Pikoli’s lawyer said on Friday.
Hearings into suspended National Prosecuting Authority chief Vusi Pikoli’s fitness to hold office will continue on Tuesday.
Suspended national prosecutions chief Vusi Pikoli was ”bitterly disappointed” at a two-day delay in the inquiry into his fitness to hold office.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service are hard at work repairing their relationship ahead of a planned merger with the Scorpions, NPA acting head Mokotedi Mpshe said on Wednesday. ”We’re focusing primarily on salvaging whatever relations there are,” Mpshe told reporters in Johannesburg.
The Democratic Alliance on Sunday accused Parliament’s questions office of ”obstructing” the party’s parliamentary questions probing corruption. The questions office had disqualified two written questions on the grounds that they were too vague in terms of the National Assembly’s guide to procedure.
Johannesburg businessman Hugh Glenister will likely hear next week whether his court bid to stop the government from disbanding the Scorpions has succeeded. The Pretoria High Court on Wednesday reserved judgement in his case, with Judge Willie van der Merwe indicating it was likely he would deliver judgement sometime next week.
It was touted to be a friendly, "inquisitorial" forum, but had all the elements of a bitter family feud where old comrades squared up in new battles. On the one side: the mandarins of the state and the political party that brought liberation, fighting to protect old networks of solidarity.
The Ginwala hearing has made public a controversial letter from President Thabo Mbeki to Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla over the handling of a warrant to arrest police national Commissioner Jackie Selebi. ”Since it was in the public domain and since it had been used, there could be no privilege that could attach to the letter,” Dr Frene Ginwala said.
The arrest warrant against police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi was cancelled last year because acting prosecutions boss Mokotedi Mpshe thought the Scorpions might undermine him and serve it while he was still reviewing the matter, the inquiry into Pikoli’s fitness to hold office heard on Friday.
The Constitutional Court has reserved judgement on a ban prohibiting journalists from reporting on divorce cases, a media report said on Friday. Earlier this year, the Cape High Court ruled that section 12 of the Divorce Act was unconstitutional after media group Johncom brought an application challenging it.
Suspended prosecuting head Vusi Pikoli considered ”unconstitutional” an instruction by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Brigitte Mabandla not to pursue warrants of arrest for police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi. This was evidence on Thursday in the Ginwala inquiry’s hearing into the fitness of Pikoli to serve as National Director of Public Prosecutions.
The real reason for the suspension of National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Vusi Pikoli related to a criminal probe into police chief Jackie Selebi, Pikoli’s lawyers said on Wednesday. ”It was to put a spoke in the wheels of the investigation and prosecution of the police National Commissioner, Mr Jackie Selebi,” they said.
The public hearings on suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli’s fitness to hold office are an ”inquisitorial” as opposed to an ”accusatorial” process, inquiry head Frene Ginwala said on Wednesday. ”I want to emphasise that this process is not a judicial one,” said Ginwala in an opening statement.
The inquiry into the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, which starts on Wednesday, will see several high-profile witnesses testify, including Reverend Frank Chikane and Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel. President Thabo Mbeki suspended Pikoli as the head of the NPA on September 24.
The Ginwala commission set up to inquire into the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli said on Saturday it was aware that Pikoli is allegedly being blackmailed by a hacker. Commission spokesperson Lawson Naidoo said the commission had been notified by Pikoli’s lawyers.
A hacker has allegedly gained access to suspended National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli’s computer and is attempting to blackmail him, his attorney said on Friday. ”An individual is claiming to have hacked Mr Pikoli’s system. The hacker is threatening to release Mr Pikoli’s documents to the press, if he is not paid,” said his attorney Aslam Moosajee.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request to attend closed sessions of the Ginwala inquiry into suspended National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli was rejected on Wednesday. The party requested permission from President Thabo Mbeki in March to attend the closed session into Pikoli’s fitness to hold office.
The presidency has launched an 11th-hour bid to prevent embarrassing confidential information behind the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss Vusi Pikoli from being made public. Hours before Pikoli was to release documents detailing what he told President Thabo Mbeki and others about Jackie Selebi’s alleged corruption, he received a settlement offer from the government.
Suspended National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss, Vusi Pikoli, will not ”at this stage” make public his submissions to the Ginwala commission. ”Mr Pikoli remains committed to doing so at the appropriate time,” said Deneys Reitz, attorneys acting on behalf of Pikoli, in a statement on Friday.
The Ginwala inquiry has turned down a request for access to submissions on suspended National Director of Public Prosecutions Vusi Pikoli, the inquiry said on Wednesday. ”I have declined a request from Independent Newspapers that I make all submissions made to the inquiry available to them,” said a statement issued on behalf of inquiry leader Frene Ginwala.