Yesterday's Hiigh Court order that Nomgcobo Jiba, the deputy national director of public prosecutions, be struck from the roll of advocates is a damning indictment on her close ally President Jacob Zuma, who has steadfastly resisted efforts to remove her despite her manifest unfitness for the position.It also reflects extremely poorly on the head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Shaun Abrahams, who announced the controversial decision to drop criminal charges against Jiba last year - after a judge found that she had lied under oath - and then promoted her to head the NPA's pivotal prosecuting function, saying he had done so ''on merit''.Before yesterday's ruling, Jiba's conduct had been heavily criticised in four judgments in three high-profile cases, one involving the protracted Zuma ''spy tapes'' saga, which the NPA used to justify dropping more than 700 corruption charges against the president in 2009.The Pretoria High Court yesterday ordered that Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi, the head of the NPA's specialised commercial crime unit, be struck off the roll of advocates, saying they had "flouted every rule in the fight against crime" and that they were "no longer fit and proper" to be advocates.Jiba is to appeal the ruling, which has its origins in an application to the court brought by the General Council of the Bar, objecting to her decision not to prosecute former crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli, and her conduct in two other cases.If her appeal fails, she will need to vacate her position - the NPA Act stipulates that only an advocate can fill it - but expect a long, drawn-out legal battle.Abrahams, who stunned observers in May when he announced that the NPA would appeal a High Court ruling that the corruption charges against Zuma be reinstated, has yet to pronounce on the ruling against his two close allies in the prosecuting authority.But his statement in March that it was essential that the NPA retain the public's trust is ringing very hollow...