ID’s hurdles to be fully operational may be a thing of the past by month-end

CAPE TOWN - Justice Minister Thembi Simelane has given the assurance that all legal matters to allow for the Investigating Directorate (ID) to be fully operational will be finalised by the end of this month.

On Friday, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi said the unit’s investigators were unable to access the evidence of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

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On Thursday, the president issued the proclamation on the new act, which makes the ID a permanent structure with its own staff.

It was initially set up by presidential proclamation in 2019 to prosecute state capture and other high-profile corruption crimes.

Simelane said as a permanent entity, the ID would significantly bolster the NPA’s efforts to prosecute corruption.

"Myself and the DG [Director-General Doctor Mashabane] have concluded a memo to fully notify the progress on proclamation, but also to start the process of dealing with the regulations, which we intend to publish on the 19th of August 2024."

Batohi welcomed Simelane’s assurances to iron out issues that limited investigators’ access to the evidence collected by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

"We do need to move very quickly with these cases, and the protocols of request are not ideal for optimal investigations."

Simelane said drafting regulations for a retired judge to oversee complaints against investigators was the final hurdle to overcome.