Gerrie Nel: I have no political agenda
Gerrie Nel starts his new career as a private prosecutor today.
After the announcement of his shock resignation as state prosecutor, many have questioned Nel's decision to join AfriForum to head up their private prosecutions unit.
Nel says the choice to leave the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was not an overnight decision, but that he felt the time has come to take on a new challenge.
He stresses that the unit will benefit all South Africans.
"I've never had a political agenda and I don't have one now. I've been a prosecutor for 36 years and I think I have built up an integrity that I'm proud of over the period of 36 years. I won't sell it. I won't sell my integrity and do something that I don't believe in," says Nel.
Nel also warns that this new unit will not participate in a trial by media.
He says they will look at cases brought in by anyone and if it fits their criteria, they will pursue it.
"I think it's a harmful and hurtful process to splash all over the media who and what you are pursuing, but one we have decided to pursue a certain matter, we will certainly do so.
There was widespread disappointment following the news of Nel's resignation from the NPA, with many saying the institution lost one of its best prosecutors.
Former prosecutor and DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach is one of them.
"The NPA is losing a really good prosecutor with years and years of experience which is very hard to replace," says Breytenbach.
Breytenbach wished Nel luck in his new job.
"I'm not sure private prosecutions are quite so simple to institute. There are a lot of requirements to be met and we will have to see how that pans out," says Breytenbach.
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Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies, Anton Du Plessis says Nel's resignation from the NPA comes at a bad time.
"The NPA is struggling with its own reputation in South Africa and globally and, where I understand it, there is also some internal struggles to get the morale of prosecutors up," says Du Plessis.
Du Plessis says he hopes Nel's sudden resignation will not lead to a big fallout.
"Hopefully his reasons are able to demonstrate not perhaps a broader problem within the NPA, which seems likely, but perhaps other reasons we are yet to understand," says Breytenbach.
Nel says the reason he left the NPA was because he is concerned over the perception that the NPA is guilty of selective prosecutions and that everyone was seemingly not equal before the law.