Zuma prosecutor fired by SA prez

What we predicted would happen has happened. Zuma is wrapping up his corruption case from within. This is the beginning of the end of his legal problems.

His plan went thus: remove one's enemies from within the ANC (the Mbekites), replace with boot-licking lackeys (the new prez being one of them), get the Scorpions killed off and viola...case gone, you have 'justice', Africa style. You've got to hand it to a man with a grade 5 edukashun, this was pure genius on his part.

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South African President Kgalema Motlanthe on Monday dismissed the head of the country's prosecuting authority, which is leading the corruption case against ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

Vusi Pikoli, head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), angered many in the ruling African National Congress and former President Thabo Mbeki by carrying out separate investigations of Zuma and national police chief Jackie Selebi.

Mbeki suspended Pikoli in September 2007 after the prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Selebi, an Mbeki ally accused of involvement with organised crime. Selebi faces corruption and fraud charges and is currently suspended.

Motlanthe, who took over after Mbeki was ousted by the ANC in September, said he decided Pikoli had to go after an inquiry found the suspended chief prosecutor had failed to consider national security concerns in the Selebi case and other matters.

"The report indicated that Advocate Pikoli was not sensitive to the very important matter of national security," Motlanthe told reporters after the inquiry's findings were released to the public in the capital Pretoria.

Motlanthe's decision, which the ANC-dominated parliament is expected to ratify in the coming months, flew in the face of the inquiry's recommendation that Pikoli be restored to his former position.

While blaming Pikoli for endangering national security, the inquiry reserved most of its criticism for the government and officials in the department of justice, saying they had not proved many of the allegations made against the NPA head.

Motlanthe, an ally of Zuma, denied there had been political influence on him to sack Pikoli.

"This really is my own decision. It has no other influence," the president said.

It is unclear how Pikoli's removal will affect the prosecution of Zuma, who defeated Mbeki for the ANC leadership in 2007 and is the frontrunner to win a general election expected in March 2009.