National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi addressed Parliament this week, laying bare the serious challenges the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) continues to face in prosecuting complex state capture cases and ensuring robust witness protection.
In a candid session, Batohi acknowledged the mounting criticism of the NPA’s perceived underperformance but stressed that the agency operates under immense pressure, constrained by limited resources, internal sabotage, and systemic weaknesses inherited over years of political interference.
State capture prosecutions, she explained, are not only legally intricate but are also obstructed by well-financed accused parties who exploit procedural loopholes to delay justice. Many of the key cases involve cross-border criminal networks and high-level corruption, requiring extensive international cooperation and forensic financial investigation—tools the NPA continues to build slowly amid staffing and skills shortages.
A significant concern raised was the growing fear among witnesses. Batohi emphasized that many potential whistleblowers and witnesses are reluctant to testify due to safety fears, citing inadequate resourcing and structural gaps in South Africa’s witness protection framework. “If we can’t protect our witnesses, we can’t prosecute our cases,” she warned, calling for urgent legislative and budgetary reforms to fortify the system.
While Batohi remained firm in her commitment to see high-level prosecutions through, she urged the public and Parliament not to mistake slow progress for failure. “We are working under intense pressure and facing serious resistance,” she said, “but we will not abandon our mission.”
Her remarks come amid increasing calls from political parties for her resignation and public frustration over delayed prosecutions linked to high-profile figures implicated in state capture. Still, Batohi insisted the NPA is moving in the right direction, even if justice is proving painfully slow.
