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South African opposition parties have spoken out against reports of the possible appointment of Advocate Muzi Wilfred Mkhize as the new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), replacing Vusi Pikoli. Mkhize was a member of African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma's defence team when he was first charged with corruption in 2005.
Len Joubert, party spokesperson on constitutional development for the official opposition the Democratic Alliance (DA), said in a statement that this was cause for grave concern, as Mkhize would be in an "unquestionable position of conflict of interest". As NDPP, Mkhize would be the person to decide whether or not Zuma's corruption charges should be carried out.
The Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP) Velaphi Ndlovu, spokesperson for safety and security, echoed this sentiment. He said that the appointment of Mkhize would " violate the ethical standards of the legal profession" as he faces charges of professional misconduct. Mkhize's history as Zuma's former lawyer, would also "fatally undermine the notion of the independence of the prosecution service", the IFP said.
Ndlovu went as far as saying that the appointment of Mkhize would constitute a significant step towards South Africa becoming a "banana republic", a term associated with an unstable government, typically a dictatorship.
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