Prosecuting State capture cases remains a priority, says NPA boss Batohi

CAPE TOWN - National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi says prosecuting State capture cases will remain a priority, despite them accounting for less than 1% of its work.

But she said the NPA can’t succumb to pressure from various quarters to move quicker in prosecuting those responsible. 

Appearing before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts on Wednesday, Batohi said she was aware the public would judge her tenure based on the success of State capture prosecutions. 

Batohi said while the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture gave authorities a blueprint from which to work, the testimony put before it is not all backed up by evidence that can be taken to trial.

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However, she said this does not mean the NPA is not committed to bringing those involved to justice. 

“We have a duty to South Africans to make sure, as law enforcement, to hold those accountable for that. It cannot be that you bring a country to its knees and then no one is held accountable and we don’t recover the money.”

Asked by uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s Thalente Kubheka whether she thought the media was pushing a particular narrative about State capture, Batohi replied: “We’re not driven by the media, we certainly do not prosecute because something is in the media space. 

“And the media puts lots of 'pressure' on law enforcement and the NPA. We can’t succumb to that pressure, otherwise we will make mistakes.”

She said despite the criticism for the length of time it’s taking to bring these matters to court, South Africa is not far behind its international counterparts in preparing complex corruption matters for prosecution.