PRETORIA – Newly appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andy Mothibi says efforts to secure the National Prosecuting Authority’s operational and financial independence are nearing completion.
Speaking during his first public address since taking office in January, Mothibi said a draft NPA Act aimed at strengthening the institution’s independence will be tabled in the next financial year.
He said the Ministry and Department of Justice and Constitutional Development have committed to driving legislative reforms to enhance the NPA’s governance and operational framework, including the establishment of its own accounting officer.
Mothibi said one of the organisation’s strategic focus areas is “corporatisation”, noting that political interference has repeatedly undermined the NPA’s ability to function impartially.
He warned that without control over budgets and personnel decisions, institutions such as the NPA remain vulnerable to manipulation by external forces.
Acknowledging that crime levels in South Africa remain exceptionally high, with low resolution rates, Mothibi pledged that prosecutions would be carried out without fear, favour or prejudice.
As part of its strategy, the NPA will prioritise offences with the greatest impact on community safety, including gender-based violence, organised crime and corruption.
Mothibi said organised crime and corruption continue to grow at an alarming rate, often facilitated or enabled by state actors.
He referenced findings from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and other inquiries, which highlighted the damaging effects of corruption on South Africa’s standing in global indices.
The NPA will also focus on fast-tracking apartheid-era crimes, strengthening the fight against complex commercial crime and corruption, and implementing recommendations from the Zondo Commission on State Capture.
The Investigative Directorate Against Corruption is currently dealing with 134 of the 218 cases linked to State Capture recommendations.
Mothibi pointed to the recent conviction of Vincent Smith as a significant outcome in the fight against corruption.
“We are also going to be looking at case prioritisation and enhancing the digital evidence unit to strengthen prosecutions,” he said.