HSF 'dismayed' by Nel's resignation

31 January 2017

Johannesburg – The NPA has lost an impressive public servant in prosecutor Gerrie Nel, the Helen Suzman Foundation said on Tuesday.

“I felt a sense of dismay when the news broke,” HSF director Francis Antonie told News24 following the announcement of Nel’s resignation after a 35-year career as a prosecutor.

He questioned if Nel’s resignation was related to National Prosecuting Authority head Shaun Abrahams’s “incompetence”.

“We are concerned about how the office and the institution is run. The man running it is not fit to hold office. I hope there are people who can continue with the good work that he [Nel] started,” Antonie said.

The NPA confirmed that Nel had resigned on Monday, apparently after giving them 24-hour notice.

“Leaving in 24 hours seems to me like personal issues or there are issues in the NPA,” Antonie said.

The HSF and Freedom Under Law have been calling for Abrahams to be suspended.

The call came after Abrahams announced on October 11 2016 that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, former deputy SARS commissioner Ivan Pillay and former SARS commissioner Oupa Magashula, would be summoned to appear in court on a charge of fraud relating to Pillay’s early retirement and the extension of his contract.

Abrahams announced on October 31 that the charges had been withdrawn.

News24 reliably understands from three sources that the State advocate would join lobby group Afriforum to strengthen its anti-corruption unit and pursue private prosecutions.

Neither Afriforum or Nel had confirmed or denied this.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.