Search for next NDPP to get underway, with job ad to go live this weekend

The job to be the country's next National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) will be advertised this weekend. 

A panel that will interview candidates and make recommendations to the president has decided to also open the process to nominations from interested groups. 

Shamila Batohi, who has been at the helm of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) since 2019, is due to retire in January, leaving a tight deadline for the panel to find her successor.

The panel, headed by the Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, met for the first time this week to chart the next steps for recruiting a new prosecutions boss.

By law, it’s not required that the hunt for an NPA head be an open process; however, President Cyril Ramaphosa set the precedent in 2018 by appointing a panel to conduct public interviews and make recommendations to him for appointment.

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While the panel has been criticised by the Democratic Alliance for lacking prosecutorial and criminal justice experience to select candidates, it's forging ahead to receive applications and nominations by 7 November.

Once candidates are shortlisted and screened, public input will be invited before interviews commence on 7 December. 

"Members of the panel acknowledge the significance and gravity of the task before them and are committed to diligently ensuring that a fit and proper candidate is appointed to this important position," said Justice spokesperson Terrence Manase. 

The NDPP is appointed by the president for a term of ten years, which none of the country’s former incumbents have completed.