Simelane 'fit for new job'

2009-11-27 07:49

Durban - Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe has commended Menzi Simelane's appointment as national director of prosecutions, saying that he was fit to occupy the position.

Speaking at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday night, Radebe said there would be nothing that would prevent Simelane from assuming his position.

Simelane’s appointment has attracted much criticism from the opposition parties and law experts who said President Jacob Zuma had made a "scandalous" appointment.

'Fit and proper'

"I am very happy with the appointment of Simelane. He is appropriately qualified. He is fit and proper to be a director," said Radebe.

Simelane was a good choice because his background spoke for itself.

"He has two degrees and he was a director general for the Department of Justice not yesterday but for years," said Radebe.

He said he would have a press briefing on Monday to explain why he decided not to continue with the disciplinary measures against Simelane following the findings of the Ginwala inquiry.

Simelane's appointment as national director of prosecutions showed an "utter disregard for the Constitution and the law", constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos said on Thursday.

'Executive interference'

He said the National Prosecuting Authority Act laid down that the director had to be a "fit and proper person, with due regard to his or her experience, conscientiousness and integrity".

He said the Ginwala inquiry had found that in his former post of justice director general, Simelane drafted a letter for his minister on the case of former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi that was in Ginwala's words "tantamount to executive interference with the prosecutorial independence of the NPA".

Radebe was in KwaZulu-Natal to talk about the transformation of the judiciary.

Speakers who spoke during the lecture congratulated Zuma for appointing Simelane.

- SAPA