National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi is facing an escalating crisis of confidence, as political pressure mounts for her to resign in the wake of multiple prosecutorial setbacks. Accused of presiding over a crumbling National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Batohi now finds herself at the center of a storm that questions not only her leadership but the very integrity of South Africa’s justice system.
Political heavyweights, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the MK Party, and ActionSA, are leading the charge. Their verdict is damning: Batohi has failed to deliver justice, especially in key State Capture-related prosecutions, and they are calling for her immediate resignation. Criticism intensified after Batohi made explosive allegations of internal “sabotage” within the NPA—remarks she later attempted to soften by distinguishing it from infiltration, instead referring to deliberate undermining of critical cases from within.
For her critics, the nuance hardly matters. The EFF and MK Party argue that her failure to bring powerful figures to book is a glaring symbol of a justice system in disarray. ActionSA’s Athol Trollip went further, branding the NPA as a haven for the politically connected, and pointing to the high-profile failures around the Timothy Omotoso trial, the collapsed Gupta extradition efforts, and the mishandled prosecution of Ace Magashule’s former PA, Moroadi Cholota.
Despite the outcry, Batohi stood firm during a tense appearance in Parliament on Tuesday. She struck a defiant tone, insisting the NPA is “doing a fantastic job,” and made it clear she has no intention of resigning. She underscored ongoing efforts to extradite both the Gupta brothers and Omotoso, appealing to the public to retain faith in the system.
But with Batohi’s term set to end in January 2026, the debate is no longer just about her performance—it’s about the credibility of South Africa’s justice system as a whole. As trust in the NPA wanes, the question now is whether leadership change is enough—or whether the rot runs far deeper, demanding urgent and sweeping reform.
