Former National Director of Public Prosecutions Mxolisi Nxasana has labelled President Jacob Zuma a liar.
Nxasana‚ who was appointed in 2013‚ has filed a damning affidavit in a civil case involving Freedom Under Law and Corruption Watch against Zuma.
The two civic organisations are applying for a review of a R17-million golden handshake paid to Nxasana to have him leave his office and want the payment‚ along with his removal from his post‚ declared illegal.
They allege the payment contravenes the Public Financial Management Act and NPA Act.
The organisations have welcomed the affidavit with Corruption Watch saying that if the inaccuracies of Zuma persisted they would look to have him come to court to testify.
Nxasana has accused Zuma of lying when he stated under oath that he [Nxasana] gave up his job without a fight.
Zuma‚ last year responding to FUL and Corruption Watch’s allegations‚ said in an affidavit that Nxasana had told him that he would willingly leave his position.
In his affidavit‚ Nxasana said the reason he was filing it [the affidavit] was to provide the court with “an account of the facts‚ within my personal knowledge it has not been fully appraised of …”
Nxasana confirms the allegations by FUL and Corruption Watch and the allegations of “my premature departure”.
“I never made a request to the President to vacate the office of the NDPP‚” he stated.
“In May 2015‚ the president and I concluded a settlement agreement to which I relinquish my position as NDPP and receive a settlement equivalent to what I would have received as a salary had I served my full term as NDPP. In that agreement‚ the president acknowledged that I am a fit and proper person to hold office as the NDPP.
“I entered the settlement agreement to settle the undesirable and ongoing dispute between myself‚ the President and Mr [Jeff] Radebe.
“The source of the dispute was that the President wanted me to vacate the office of the NDPP‚ and I did not want to leave the office.
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“My fitness [to hold office] was recorded by the President and the Minister [Radebe] in the settlement agreement and they do not contend otherwise.”
He said although attempts were made to resolve the dispute‚ he ultimately accepted the settlement to end it [the dispute].
“This does not change the simple fact that the settlement agreement was not‚ and never intended to be‚ concluded to constitute a request on my part to vacate office …”
He said the agreement was an attempt to protect the integrity of the office of the NDPP.
“I never made such a request to the president … the president’s version is false.”
David Lewis of Corruption Watch said the affidavit spoke for itself.
“It’s incredibly damning and detrimental to Zuma’s case. It contends that he lied under oath.
“Zuma’s claim has always been a dubious claim – that he paid Nxasana out yet he maintained that he was a fit and proper person for job.
“This affidavit confirms these suspicions all along. We now look forward to meeting them in court and if these inaccuracies persist we will seek oral evidence and have the president brought onto the stand to testify.” – Tiso Black Star Group/TimesLIVE
“On Wednesday, the court ruled that its earlier finding that Ntlemeza was not a fit and proper person to lead the Hawks should come into immediate effect, even though he has appealed the ruling”….just asking …can SA make a legal case against Zuma for “not being a fit and proper person to lead SA”?