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Misfiring? The NPA's moment of truth in its anti-corruption crusade
Last year was not a good year for the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID).
Hopes that alleged state capture kingpins Rajesh and Atul Gupta would be brought to South Africa from Dubai to face the music were dashed in April 2023 when it was revealed the United Arab Emirates had dismissed a request by the ID for the extradition.
Just weeks after the Dubai Appeal Court declined to extradite the Gupta brothers to face trial in South Africa, the Free State High Court acquitted all the accused in the ID's first state capture trial: the R24.9 million Nulane fraud and money laundering case.
Battered and bruised, the ID launched a R2.5-million corruption and money laundering case against former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in April 2024. News24's legal journalist Karyn Maughan writes in this week's Friday Briefing that it could be one of the NPA's most legacy-defining (or legacy-destroying) prosecutions. She details why the NPA cannot lose this case.
We also have input from the NPA's Shamila Batohi and Anton du Plessis who write that recent progress in the cases of the former CEO of Steinhoff and Mapisa-Nqakula adds to a growing number of cases involving high-profile accused from the public and private sectors, which demonstrates that the NPA is pursuing its mandate without fear or favour
Executive secretary of CASAC Lawson Naidoo also weighs in on the matter. He firmly believes that examining the fight against state capture and corruption through the narrow lens of what the NPA does or does not do, does not do justice to the broader efforts in the anti-corruption environment.
He argues that a clear plan to address and fix the structural weaknesses that have allowed state capture and corruption to go unchecked must be an absolute priority to win the battle against graft.
Finally, Corruption Watch's Karam Singh reflects on the lack of leadership in the country. He writes that going forward, South Africa must ensure that our leadership has the decisive political will to take South Africa on a different trajectory - one based on principles of integrity and accountability.
I hope you enjoy the read ahead of the weekend.
Best,
Vanessa Banton
Opinions editor.
*Editor's note: This editorial was amended on 12/04/2024 to make it clear that it was the NPA's ID that was been referred to.
High stakes in the NPA's case against Mapisa-Nqakula: Why failure is not an option
The Investigating Directorate insists it can show that Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is guilty of corruption. But, after suffering humiliating losses in other trials, Karyn Maughan writes, the ID simply cannot afford to lose its case against the former speaker.
Building a fit-for-purpose NPA is crucial for SA's future
While more progress is needed, the NPA, working with its partners in the most challenging environment, continues to make significant strides in tackling the complex and embedded scourge of corruption that plagues our country, write Shamila Batohi and Anton du Plessis.
The NPA's progress since 2019: Not yet at its peak, but significantly improved
Despite several successes, together with the recent arrest of former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqukula for corruption and money laundering, the perception remains that the NPA is dysfunctional and does not go after the "big fish". This is unfair, argues Lawson Naidoo.
Leadership lags in SA's anti-corruption drive
There has been some progress in South Africa's fight against corruption, writes Karam Singh, but it has not kept pace with corruption itself because the fight has lacked committed leadership with the courage to do things differently.
