South Africa’s top court on Monday ruled that the head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Shaun Abrahams, was not validly appointed to the position and that he was a beneficiary of abuse of office by former president Jacob Zuma.
Abrahams was appointed in 2015 after his predecessor Mxolisi Nxasana was given US $1.1 million as a “golden handshake” by Zuma’s administration.
Nxasana however went to court claiming that he had been forced out of his position because Zuma was convinced that he intended to prosecute him for corruption.
Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, reading a majority opinion, ruled that Zuma had unlawfully retired Mr Nxasana, and therefore his subsequent appointment of Abrahams was invalid.
The court rejected Nxasana’s appeal to get his former job back and ordered him to return the US $1.1m “golden handshake” to the government.
Abrahams was seen by Zuma’s critics as his lackey, and was nicknamed Shaun the sheep.
The court gave President Cyril Ramaphosa, who forced Mr Zuma out of office in February, 90 days to appoint a new NPA head.
When he became president, Ramaphosa had said that “leadership issues” at the NPA was one of his key concerns.
