President Cyril Ramaphosa has called Advocate Shamila Batohi, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), to a high-level meeting following her recent remarks accusing prosecutors within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of grave violations.
In a series of open interviews, 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.
Her remarks have raised serious doubts regarding the independence and integrity of South Africa’s legal system.
Ramaphosa sees the meeting as an important chance for Batohi to clarify the scope of the purported infiltration and to thoroughly express her concerns.
“The NDPP did make that statement and she later said she used the wrong word about the infiltration. I’m going to have a meeting with her so that she can really download and take off the chest some of the challenges,” Ramaphosa told journalists at the Sefako Makgatho Primary School on Tuesday.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the NPA’s work despite the criticism facing the persecuting authority.
“The NPA has really done considerable work to stabilise itself as well as go on with various prosecutions. Quite often, we look at where there is failure or where there are mistakes, and we think the whole system is not working,” said Ramaphosa.
The NPA has faced criticism for not prosecuting a number of high-profile cases, such as those involving state capture and the sexual assault case against Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist.
Calls to fire Batohi have increased as a result of this.
ActionSA has urged Batohi to resign, pointing to a series of high-profile shortcomings within the NPA.
In contrast, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has expressed its opposition to her dismissal, signalling continued support for her tenure.
But responding to criticism, Batohi said, she is not going anywhere.
Batohi’s term ends in January 2026.
Politics
