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Johannesburg — The Democratic Alliance (DA) has given President Jacob Zuma until today to decide if he will appoint a commission of inquiry into deputy prosecutions head Nomgcobo Jiba’s fitness to hold office, or go to court.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane said this move was one of many steps to ‘’firewall’’ institutions of democracy.

The announcement outside the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) office in Pretoria comes after charges of fraud and perjury against Jiba were withdrawn in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on August 19.

The withdrawal of the charges against Jiba was among the first announcements made by new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Shaun Abrahams, who succeeded Mxolisi Nxasana.

Nxasana had also requested a commission of inquiry into Jiba’s fitness to hold office, but he made a quiet exit after the commission of inquiry to which he was supposed to have been subjected was called off hours before it was meant to have started in May.

The DA said it was yet to hear back from the president regarding its April request for an inquiry into Jiba.

“It’s clear neither the President, nor the [new] head of the NPA, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, have learned from the appointment of Menzi Simelane that was overturned by the Constitutional Court who declared it irrational.’’

Earlier this month, Abrahams announced the charges against Jiba would be withdrawn and she would be appointed as head of National Specialised Prosecution Services. Jiba still faces an application by the South African Bar Council to have her disbarred.

The DA considers Jiba’s new position as “using cadre deployment to shield his interests and those of his friends’’.

It has already requested the record of the decision to withdraw charges against Jiba, who said she felt vindicated after a brief court appearance on August 19 to formalise the decision.

Asked how Zuma intended responding, Presidency spokesperson Bongani Majola did not know about the DA’s request and, while being asked if he could find out, put the phone down. — AFP