No go: A commission of enquiry into state capture will take years to complete
National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams has given prosecutors until February 23 to provide him with their recommendations on whether or not President Jacob Zuma should be prosecuted.
Last month, just hours before his deadline, Zuma submitted his representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on why he should not be prosecuted for the 2009 “Spy Tapes” saga.
The NPA confirmed on Tuesday that the embattled NDPP had instructed the prosecuting team to provide him with their recommendations by February 23.
“Upon receipt thereof, the national director will advise on the way forward, including the date by which he would advise of his decision,” NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said.
Delaying tactics
Meanwhile, the DA’s federal executive chair James Selfe on Tuesday accused the NPA of using delaying tactics by not providing them with Zuma’s representations.
“We have asked for a copy of the representations. We believe that we are entitled to comment on them. Zuma’s legal team has no objection. The NPA is again delaying. We ask— on whose behalf?”
Zuma submitted his representations after the deadline was extended from November 30, 2017 to January 31, 2018.
The representations relate to a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling which dismissed Zuma’s and the NPA’s application to appeal a High Court ruling that the dropping of the corruption charges against him by then NPA boss Mokotedi Mpshe was “irrational”.
Mpshe dropped the charges, based on the so-called “Spy Tapes”, which were presented to him by Zuma’s legal team.
The tapes were made up of recordings of telephone conversations between then Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy and former NPA boss Bulelani Ngcuka which Zuma’s legal team claimed showed political interference in the decision to charge him.—News24