Mothibi vows to clear backlogs, tackle organised crime
The National Prosecuting Authority’s new boss has outlined a set of priorities to ensure the fast-tracking of cases and to tackle organised crime over the next two years.
The list of priorities unveiled by Advocate Andy Mothibi includes the finalisation of the apartheid-era cases, as well as those who were referred to the NPA by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.
Mothibi briefed the media in Pretoria on Thursday.
It was Mothibi's first formal press conference since his appointment as the National Director of Public Prosecutions in January.
He said there is an urgent need to fill critical vacancies within the organisation, including securing the NPA’s financial independence, which will enable it to have its own accounting officers.
"We would want the NPA to have operational and financial independence. I have been in discussions with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development on this subject, and I am pleased to say that the ministry and department are fully supportive and have committed to driving the legislative reform process,” he said.
The NPA has a 17% vacancy rate among skilled professionals, especially in financial investigations.
"These are critical skills in the sense that the matters that we investigate, in particular in commercial crimes and in the corruption space. They require serious financial analysis," he said.
The slow pace of prosecutions in state capture cases was one of the biggest criticisms levelled at his predecessor, Shamila Batoyi.
However, Mothibi said the NPA is implementing the Zondo Commission's recommendations through the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).
Last week, former ANC Member of Parliament Vincent Smith was sentenced to seven years' direct imprisonment after being convicted of corruption relating to the state capture commission findings.
Mothibi added that the NPA is also dealing with investigations into the looting at Tembisa Hospital, as well as the recommendations of the Madlanga Commission into corruption in the criminal justice sector.
He said they will give attention to criminal referrals arising from investigations into the Tembisa Hospital corruption, which featured businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela as a potential suspect.
The Tembisa hospital report detailed how procurement processes were flawed, enabling the looting of about R2 billion from the health department.
"When I was the head of the SIU, remember we released an interim report. That report indicated that we were dealing with syndicates. Some of the syndicates indicated that they were, in a way, operating under Maumela,” he added.
He said four senior prosecutors from the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) have been appointed to deal with revelations from the Madlanga Commission.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has established a special investigation task team to examine criminal referrals arising from the commission.
