NPA pushes back against claims of interference, stalling in JDA CEO, City Power cases

The entrance of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Pretoria. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says an internal review has found no evidence that senior officials improperly influenced the handling of several high-profile commercial crime cases. At the centre of the controversy is Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) CEO Themba Mathibe, whose arrest in January 2026 sparked headlines – and questions.

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Andy Mothibiordered an internal probelast month after media reports suggested that cases were being stalled or mishandled by the NPA’s Gauteng division. Mathibe was arrested on 26 January at his Bryanston home after police allegedly found large sums of cash on the property. The 28-year-old was charged with money laundering and granted R50 000 bail by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.

His case returns to court on 2 June. News24reported the matter had not been enrolled in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Palm Ridge, despite serious allegations. It was also suggested that a senior official in the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) Johannesburg office declined to move the case forward because only R450 000 – and not R2 million as widely reported – had been found.

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As a result, Mothibi instructed acting Johannesburg Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Livingstone Sakata to investigate whether proper processes had been followed. According to the NPA, its office for ethics and accountability reviewed the docket, charge sheet, and other related documents and found that the reporting did not line up with the official case file. The authority confirmed that less than R500 000 was recovered.

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