There was no need for President Thabo Mbeki to make any statements on the suspension of Vusi Pikoli, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), the Cabinet has decided.
Mbeki suspended National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) chief Pikoli days after the NPA obtained arrest and search warrants for police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Briefing the media on Thursday on the outcome of a Cabinet meeting which took place on Wednesday, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said the Cabinet urged the public to be patient.
”The Cabinet calls for patience to be exercised to ensure that the work of the inquiry by Dr [Frene] Ginwala is not compromised,” he said.
The Cabinet also said statements that Pikoli’s suspension had created a constitutional crisis were baseless.
”Government, under the leadership of President Mbeki remains committed to the doctrine of separation of powers and finds the intimation that suspending the NDPP undermines this doctrine unjustified, misleading and amounts to an extreme exaggeration,” Maseko said. – Sapa