The appointment of Andy Mothibi as national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) has sparked mixed political reaction, with parties questioning the process, timing and impact on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). While President Cyril Ramaphosa exercised his constitutional discretion under section 179 of the constitution and section 10 of the NPA Act to appoint Mothibi — after an advisory panel rejected all six shortlisted candidates — the focus has quickly shifted to how political actors interpret the decision and what it signals for the prosecuting authority’s future. The presidency said the panel, chaired by justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, submitted its report on December 12 and advised that none of the interviewed candidates was suitable.
“Accordingly, President Cyril Ramaphosa has decided to appoint advocate Jan Lekgoa [Andy] Mothibi, with effect from February 1, as the national director of public prosecutions,” the presidency said. The appointment therefore rests on the president’s constitutional discretion if an advisory process does not produce a recommended candidate. Mothibi has led the SIU since May 2016, following earlier roles as a prosecutor and magistrate in Joburg and Soweto and senior governance posts at the finance department, the SA Revenue Service, SAA, Nedbank, Standard Bank and AfroCentric Health.
His career has centred on enterprise risk, governance and forensic capability. At the SIU he introduced a turnaround strategy focused on performance, governance and partnerships. Under his leadership the unit delivered major recoveries and prevented losses, expanded the use of data analytics and the Special Tribunal, and pursued high‑profile investigations into procurement irregularities.
Read Full Article on Business Day
[paywall]
In 2023/24 the SIU reported R8bn in savings for the state, including R2.28bn in cash recoveries and R2.32bn in losses prevented. In 2025 it clawed back R4bn, with the Special Tribunal setting aside irregular contracts to the value of more than R2.13bn. These outcomes included probes at Eskom, Transnet, Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prassa), the National Student Financial Scheme and spending at Tembisa Hospital, resulting in billions in asset preservations, referrals for prosecution and disciplinary action.
The North-West University has publicly congratulated him and noted his 2021 alumni excellence award for public service. Mothibi’s challenge will be to translate the SIU’s record of recoveries and contract cancellations into prosecutorial effectiveness, ensure referrals result in timely prosecutions and embed governance practices that strengthen the rule of law “Under his leadership, the SIU has become a crucial institution in dealing with corruption in our country and ensuring resources benefit South Africans,“ the university said.
[/paywall]
