THE President and Cabinet unanimously agreed to the nomination of Mr Justice Sandile Ngcobo to the Constitutional Court, according to a statement by the office of President Nelson Mandela. The statement responded to media reports of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki’s intervention to appoint Ngcobo. Attempting to clarify the process, the statement notes that the Judicial Service Commission provides four names for every position available, and the President makes the choice in consultation with the Cabinet. Mandela and the Cabinet unanimously decided on Ngcobo. The statement attacks media interest in the appointment process, saying “speculation surrounding this appointment is unbecoming and without any basis in fact.”