Will advocate Mothibi restore faith in the NPA?

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of advocate Andy Mothibi as National Director of Public Prosecutions on January 6 sparked immediate debate: some called it decisive, others saw political theatre.

- NYANISO QWESHA

Both views contain truth. But both miss the more important point.

The real question is not whether the appointment process was ideal. It clearly was not. The real question is whether Mothibi will deliver what South Africa urgently needs: swift, fearless prosecutions that hold powerful people to account. After more than a decade of state capture, institutional sabotage, and justice delayed, the country does not need another careful custodian. It needs a prosecutor who acts.

Mothibi’s record gives reason for cautious optimism. As head of the Special Investigating Unit since 2019, he oversaw the recovery of more than R2.28 billion in public funds and helped prevent losses of roughly R8 billion in the 2023 to 2024 financial year alone. These are not abstract achievements. They reflect real interventions in health sector corruption, infrastructure fraud, and state-owned enterprise looting.

His broader experience across the prosecutorial system, the magistracy, and senior leadership at SARS matters because the National Prosecuting Authority is not just underperforming. It is still recovering from deep institutional trauma inflicted during the years when political interference hollowed out prosecutorial independence. Even under well-intentioned leadership, progress has been slow, uneven, and often invisible to the public.

What distinguishes Mothibi is temperament. Leading the SIU required operating in politically hostile terrain without collapsing into paralysis or capture. That balance is exactly what the NDPP role demands. If he brings the same urgency and discipline to the NPA, South Africa could finally see movement on cases involving senior politicians and entrenched patronage networks.

Yet it would be irresponsible to ignore how he arrived in office.