Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking urgent action to rescue South Africa’s broken National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and restore justice for victims of corruption.
To achieve this, we are pursuing a bold reform package that includes:
- Passing the DA’s “Scorpions 2.0” Bill to create an independent Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with the power to investigate and prosecute high-level corruption, free from political interference.
- Amending the Constitution to ensure the head of the NPA is appointed by Parliament – not the President – following a transparent and rigorous vetting process.
- Launching a watching brief programme to monitor high-stakes prosecutions and improve outcomes, as the DA has already done successfully in the Western Cape.
- Introducing a dedicated parliamentary oversight subcommittee to keep the NPA accountable.
- Demanding a performance audit of the NPA by the Auditor-General or Public Service Commission.
- Fighting for better funding, smarter recruitment, and stronger retention of experienced prosecutors.
- Piloting a student legal support programme to assist with court administration and fast-track young talent into the justice system.
These are not just institutional tweaks. They are real, practical reforms that will directly benefit every South African:
If you’ve ever felt like corruption goes unpunished, these reforms will mean real consequences for the looters who stole from you.
If you’ve lost faith in the justice system, we are fighting to build a system that works – one that delivers convictions, not excuses.
If you’re tired of delays and dropped cases, we’re demanding proper budgets, better staff, and public reporting to hold the NPA accountable.
Because right now, the system is broken.
The NPA has failed to secure a single successful prosecution of a politically connected figure implicated in state capture. Cases like the Vrede Dairy scandal, the Zizi Kodwa debacle, and the Transnet corruption trial have all collapsed due to incompetence, poor preparation, or basic procedural errors.
Earlier this year, the case against rape-accused pastor Timothy Omotoso was exposed in Parliament as a complete shambles, riddled with basic errors that led to an entirely foreseeable acquittal. In the high-profile state capture matter involving Ace Magashule’s former PA, Moroadi Cholota, the NPA bungled the extradition request by using the wrong authority – a mistake that now risks derailing accountability in yet another major case.
Even routine prosecutions are slipping through the cracks, with private groups like AfriForum succeeding where the state fails. South Africans are paying the price while the corrupt continue to walk free.
Our message today is simple: this can change – and the DA has the plan to make it happen. Parliament must support our reforms, or continue protecting the status quo where the corrupt rule with impunity.
The time to fix the NPA is now.
Regards
Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP
DA Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development