Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe has
commended the appointment of 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.

"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.

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