Africa-Press – South-Africa. Corruption Watch says it is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Advocate Lekgoa Mothibi being appointed as National Director of Public Prosecutions, given his track record.
Mothibi, who took over from Advocate Shamila Batohi on 1 February, was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa after an advisory panel interviewed six candidates out of 32 applicants and found none to be suitable.
Executive Director at Corruption Watch, Lebogang Ramafoko, says while her organisation has been campaigning for transparent appointments, they will not be supporting Barnabas Xulu & Partners Inc. The Cape Town-based law firm announced it is challenging Mothibi’s appointment because he was not subjected to the panel’s interview process.
Ramafoko says, “Our position is that you can question processes going forward. The Zondo Report acknowledges our recommendation that the processes are transparent. But you do need to get to a point where you say the NPA at this point in time is crucial. Look at what has come out of the Madlanga Commission, where we are saying a task team must lead prosecutions. This is what this country needs right now. We cannot afford, at this point, to say we want all of our conditions to be met before we can see prosecutions taking place.
“You know, there hasn’t been anybody who has said, ‘We don’t think that this person will be fit to hold office’.”
Adv. Mothibi was the Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for almost a decade.
Ramafoko says the NPA is a very troubled institution, but she doesn’t think the problems are insurmountable. She says she’d like to see Mothibi prioritise and then act.
“I think, ideally, as South Africans, we want to see mass prosecutions because we’ve been waiting for so long, but on a reasonable level, you are saying that there are key ones, that he will get in there and he will prioritise. He will make sure that he’s got the right people there.
“I think we ought to give him also our solidarity and our active citizenry, and to want Advocate Mothibi to succeed. Just don’t come to us in a year and give us a litany about why things could not be done.”
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