President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to chair the panel tasked with selecting the next National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).

The panel will oversee an open and transparent process to identify a successor to current NDPP Adv Shamila Batohi, whose term ends in January 2026.

Ramaphosa has emphasised the importance of the NDPP’s role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring the independence and integrity of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The panel members will include: Chairperson of the SA Human Rights Commission, Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality, Auditor-General of South Africa, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, A representative from the Black Lawyers Association and a representative from the National Association of Democratic Lawyers.

Following the same process used in Batohi’s 2018 appointment, the panel will call for public nominations, shortlist and interview candidates, and submit the names of three suitable nominees to the President along with a full report.

The panel has been given three months to complete its work and deliver its recommendations.

Ramaphosa has stressed that the NDPP must be able to act independently and impartially, free from any political or private influence.

“The NDPP must ensure that the NPA exercises its functions without fear, favour or prejudice and should not be beholden to any vested interests, whether in politics, in business or elsewhere,” he added.

Meanwhile, Earlier this year, Batohi disclosed that renegade prosecutors may have undermined the NPA.

She claimed that these prosecutors are working with criminal elements to undermine prosecutions from within.

This raised concerns after KZN Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi raised the same issue during his explosive media briefing on July 6.

Mkhwanazi alleged that the country’s criminal justice system, including the NPA, has been infiltrated by organised crime syndicates.

He claimed there was political interference in police investigations and that senior officials were colluding with criminals.

This led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission. 

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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