Western Cape Deputy NPA Boss critical of Batohi's leadership in successor interview

Advocate Adrian Mopp, the Western Cape Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, has openly criticised the leadership of current National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi during his interview to become her successor.

Mopp is one of six candidates vying for the top position as Batohi's term approaches its conclusion next month. Interviews for the post continued on Wednesday, despite a looming threat of interdict from the Democratic Alliance (DA)'s lawyers.

READ: NPA candidate Adrian Mopp expresses deep concern over South Africa's future

Throughout his interview, Advocate Adrian Mopp has been careful not to conflate the perception of a flawed NPA with real cracks and problems within the institution.

However, one of the panellists, Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale from the Commission for Gender Equality, pressed Mopp on views expressed by the current NPA head, Shamila Batohi, during her appearance before Parliament' ad hoc committee investigating the police.

"She spoke about underestimating the challenge, and she hasn't always articulated what she means by that. You will recall when she started off she was very negative about the state of the organisation, and in the recent past, she has tried to walk back some of those comments."

Mopp was also critical of Batohi's approach to dealing with allegations that the NPA had been "captured."

"When you build a team, because she is coming from outside, she has had a view of us, those of us within the organisation. If you want to build a team, then we must know who did what, so that people are afforded the opportunity to explain their conduct, and maybe they are able to give us rational explanations for what they have done."

During his interview, Mopp was also questioned about the high-profile 2014 murder case of Shrien Dewani, a prosecution which he led and which the State lost. Despite the presiding judge's criticism of the State for having poor evidence, Mopp maintained that they were not wrong to prosecute in the case.