Wow.

The High Court in Pretoria this morning ruled that Advocate Shaun Abrahams, the National Prosecuting Authority head, must vacate his seat.

Like, immediately.

This is according to News24:

Judge Dunstan Mlambo further ruled it would not be just for the former prosecutions boss Mxolisi Nxasana to be reinstated and that due to his pending corruption case, President Jacob Zuma was conflicted in appointing an NDPP [National Director of Public Prosecutions].

Hec – tic.

Mlambo further ruled that because of this, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa must appoint a new NDPP in the next 60 days. The Mail & Guardian explained further:

The court was ruling on the R17-million golden handshake that saw the departure of previous NPA head Mxolisi Nxasana, at a time when he threatened to investigate NPA leaders thought close to Zuma.

The court found that the nature of Nxasana’s departure was unlawful, which meant the post was not properly vacant when Abrahams was appointed to it.

However, the court declined to return Nxasana to the post, as he had asked.

However, earlier this week, Zuma said it would be “irrational and unconstitutional” to remove Abrahams from his post:

Zuma was responding to a written Parliamentary question from Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota.

Lekota asked if the manner in which Abrahams justified the decision – taken by former NDPP Mokotedi Mpshe – to drop corruption charges against Zuma in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) last month warranted a suspension.

The decision follows the SCA’s dismissal in October of the NPA and Zuma’s appeal against a 2016 decision by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, which found that Mpshe’s decision had been irrational:

Zuma’s office said after the judgment that it was disappointed with the SCA’s decision, and it was now up to the NPA to make a “legitimate” decision on whether or not to prosecute him.

Let’s just hope that good things happen within those 60 days – after all, we still can’t be too sure who will take Zuma’s place as president of the ANC.

We know that Shaun and his cronies will appeal this, and it will drag on for a good few months, but let’s just enjoy this little victory.

[source:news24&news24&mg]