The Citizen reports that Judge Hans Fabricius on Wednesday ruled in the High Court in Pretoria that former Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize had lacked the authority to suspend director-general Mkhuseli Apleni and declared that his suspension was unconstitutional and of no force and effect.  

Apleni smiled broadly as he told reporters he was going back to work directly.  He said he had not yet spoken to the new Home Affairs Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, but the application had nothing to do with her and he just wanted to get on with his work.  Apleni has accused Mkhize of acting irrationally and suspending him on trumped-up charges so that she could use his absence to settle litigation against the department involving millions of rands which ought not to be settled.  Mkhize, now the newly appointed higher education minister, in turn accused Apleni of being mischievous, making unsubstantiated claims, deliberately ridiculing her in front of the executive committee and undermining her authority.  Judge Fabricius found that the minister had no authority to suspend the director-general and that only President Zuma had that power.

• Read this report by Ilse de Lange in full at The Citizen

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