Fired senior prosecutors, Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi, have 10 working days to inform both houses of Parliament why they should be reinstated in their positions at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

This was the decision made at a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services and Select Committee on Security and Justice on Friday.

In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Jiba and Mrwebi after retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro recommended that he sack them from the NPA following an inquiry.

The inquiry found that both of them were "not fit and proper to hold their respective offices", according to a statement from the Presidency.

Mokgoro's report stated that Jiba's conduct, on multiple occasions, showed a "lack of conscientiousness", while Mrwebi was found to have failed to act without favour, and to the prejudice of the NPA.

Debate

Both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces, are now tasked with reviewing Ramaphosa's decision. The question before them is not whether Jiba and Mrwebi should be fired, but whether they should be reinstated.

After some debate on Friday morning, the committee decided that Jiba and Mrwebi should be allowed to provide written representations to both committees to say why they should be reinstated.

"Our country is full of litigious people," chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services Bulelani Magwanishe said, adding that they should err on the side of caution.

The committees will meet separately to deliberate on the representations.

The National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services will meet on August 20 and the National Council of Provinces' Select Committee on Security and Justice on August 21.