Former deputy prosecutions boss Nomgcobo Jiba ran a campaign against former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Mxolisi Nxasana in pursuit of his post, which was promised to her, the State capture commission of inquiry heard on Wednesday. 

"My appointment only came into effect in October, so I had the whole of September in Durban before I took office.

"I heard that there were people driving around Umlazi, stopping people and asking them about me and my history, as well as my involvement in a murder case around 1985," Nxasana told the commission. 

The murder took place in 1985 and he was acquitted in the Durban Regional Court in 1986. He was 18 at the time.

The stabbing incident occurred after a rival attacked Nxasana and his brother. 

He was later forced to step down after he failed to disclose this information, News24 earlier reported. 

Nxasana was under the impression that he was simply being vetted as he was about to take office but the questioning "by people gained momentum".

"I learnt that there was a campaign by advocate Nomgcobo Jiba to dig up dirt about me to embarrass me so that the president would remove me and then she would stand a chance to continue to act or be appointed permanently as the NDPP," Nxasana testified.

The former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head claimed that then Minister of Justice Jeff Radebe promised Jiba the post.

As a result, Jiba allegedly mandated a Colonel Mhlongo to obtain information about Nxasana, the commission heard.

"I heard a recording where Colonel Mhlongo told Terrence Joubert (an employee of the NPA) that Jiba said that she doesn't trust the new NDPP. 

"He was bragging that he claimed to know me very well and made a lot of false accusations," Nxasana alleged. 

Jiba has since been fired from her position following an inquiry into her fitness to hold office, chaired by former Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro.