nomgcobo jiba mokgoro inquiry parliament

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 18: Deputy National Prosecuting Authority head, Advocate Nomgcobo Jiba during a media briefing on August 18, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jiba finally spoke out on the fraud and perjury charges against that were brought against by the NPA. The charges were withdrawn yesterday. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Cornel van Heerden).

It’s ‘back to school’ for former NPA boss Jiba as she resets her career

Nomgcobo Jiba has restarted her career in law and is working her way up from the bottom.

nomgcobo jiba mokgoro inquiry parliament

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 18: Deputy National Prosecuting Authority head, Advocate Nomgcobo Jiba during a media briefing on August 18, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jiba finally spoke out on the fraud and perjury charges against that were brought against by the NPA. The charges were withdrawn yesterday. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Cornel van Heerden).

2019 has been a year of revelation, loss and a humbling one for former NPA head of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba. After the Mokgoro Inquiry found her unfit to hold office, her world came tumbling down.

However, as reported by Times Live, Jiba has dusted herself off and made the decision to not fight the powers that be for her senior position. Instead, according to her spokesperson, Zola Majavu, the former NPA boss will start from the beginning and work her way up.

Nomgcobo Jiba: How she was humbled

After getting the boot from President Cyril Ramaphosa, Jiba faced a bigger threat: Being struck off the roll of advocates.

This call came from the General Council of the Bar, which had approached the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court in an effort to see to it that Jiba never practised law in South Africa again.

Fortunately for Jiba, these pursuits were unsuccessful and the former embattled NPA head was left to either ramp up the fight-back campaign for her old position or wither away into the shadows and live outside of the scrutiny of the public.

According to Majavu, Jiba noted personal reasons in her letter to National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise, as the motivation behind her decision to not pursue an appeal on Ramaphosa’s call, further than the bid she lost at the Western Cape High Court.

What is a pupil advocate?

To ensure a decent livelihood for her family, Jiba has taken up a position at the Pan African Bar Association of SA (Pabasa) as a pupil advocate.

For the seasoned high-ranking advocate, this is a great humbling experience. Jiba, in 2020, will join the pupillage. This, according to Pabasa, is a programme that runs for 12 months, “giving effect to the training of pupils in accordance with the statutory requirements”.

The programme is divided into six months – or 400 hours – of course work, and another of “practical vocational training under a senior advocate (mentor)”.

Jiba will be required to complete and pass nine subjects and complete the required hours of community service as a protege before she can be admitted as an advocate of the high court.

Majavu admitted that the turmoil Jiba experienced had an adverse impact on her personal health.

“She wants to be able to carry on with her life and look after her children. There is no reason she should not be able to do so,” he said.