NPA vows to prosecute without fear or favour as Mothibi outlines strategy

Just weeks after taking over as head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Advocate Andy Mothibi has outlined his strategy for the institution with a focus on strengthening skills, advancing state capture prosecutions and improving protection for whistleblowers. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Mothibi as the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) on February 1. During his first media briefing Mothibi acknowledged growing public frustration over corruption and violent crime saying South Africans were justified in expecting stronger accountability.

“South Africans are rightly impatient for more visible accountability, especially in cases of corruption and violent crime,” he said. A key part of the NPA’s strategy will be strengthening skills and capacity within the organization, particularly when dealing with complex corruption and financial crime cases. Mothibi said an independent capacity assessment conducted by external service providers, had identified areas within the NPA that require additional resources and specialized expertise.

“As part of our resourcing plan we conducted a capacity project. It assessed various levels of the NPA and helped us identify the areas we need to strengthen,” he said. He said priority areas include organised crime, gender-based violence and illicit mining, all of which require specialised investigative and prosecutorial skills.

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These matters, particularly corruption and commercial crimes, require serious financial analysis. “We do have skills within the organisation, but we need to strengthen and expand them,” he said.

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