JOHANNESBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it is taking steps to restore public confidence in its anti-corruption unit, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).
As part of a broader reset, the NPA says lifestyle audits will be conducted on investigators and prosecutors.
The audits aim to identify officials whose lifestyles appear inconsistent with their known income, potentially raising concerns about wrongdoing.
NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the process is intended to address public concerns about IDAC and ensure its officials are held to the same standards as those they investigate.
“The perception of the public is that the people in IDAC are not doing things the right way. Therefore, we’ve got to change that perception. And for us to do that, we need to then go into the prosecutors. We’ve also got to go into the investigators at IDAC to understand what their lifestyle is all about, so that we don’t have people who are living beyond their means.”
Kganyago says the outcome of the lifestyle audits could lead to further investigations if concerns are identified.
“At the end of the lifestyle audit, then there will be a recommendation for further investigation so that you then get deeper into what the issues are and then act on it afterwards,” he said.
He added that the process must be completed to identify and remove officials who do not meet the required standards.
The NPA says the reset at IDAC forms part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability and address corruption within its own ranks.
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