Malema asks Ramaphosa to make Dali Mpofu the new NPA boss

In the wake of Monday’s decision by the Constitutional Court to uphold the high court judgment that Shaun Abrahams should never have been appointed as the head of the National Prosecuting Authority, EFF leader Julius Malema was quick to call for his party’s chairperson, Advocate Dali Mpofu, to be given the position of national director of public prosecutions (NDPP).

He tagged President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Twitter account, too.

The cynical among us might say such an appointment would be very welcome in the Malema household considering Malema continues to face prosecution from the state and is yet to answer for corruption allegations levelled against him from his time as ANC Youth League leader.

The EFF leader has also faced criticism for having accepted money from alleged cigarette smugglers CarniLinx, with allegations that Adriano Mazzotti’s company helped to settle part of Malema’s enormous outstanding tax bill.

Malema admitted to the SABC last month that he had received a loan from Kyle Philips, another co-owner of CarniLinx. The loan was reportedly worth R1 million. Malema has said he declared the loan to the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

In an affidavit that the company’s co-owner Mazzotti signed in May 2014, he admits to, along with his company, being complicit in a host of crimes, including fraud, money laundering, corruption, tax evasion and bribery.

Ramaphosa has 90 days to appoint a new prosecutions boss after it was found that Jacob Zuma should never have removed the previous NDPP, Mxolisi Nxasana, by paying him a R17 million golden handshake.

Mpofu has been an extraordinarily busy man of late, doing everything from defending suspended Sars boss Tom Moyane to representing the Competition Commission against the brokers who allegedly colluded on price-fixing the rand’s exchange rate.

Mpofu is currently heading up the legal team challenging Zanu-PF party’s victory in the recent elections on behalf of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change MDC Alliance.

Many other names have been put forward for head of the NPA, with former public protector Thuli Madonsela by far being the most popular choice – at least if Twitter was anything to go by on Monday.

Yesterday, the presidency said Ramaphosa was hoping to announce the acting NDPP today after consulting with Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha.

He has 89 days left to name a permanent head.