Legal minds grilled for top NPA job
THE current acting National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss, Advocate Silas Ramaite; a prosecutor who said she was called the “Dragon Lady”; a Gauteng prosecutions head and two other legal minds were in the hot seat yesterday as they vied for the post of National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).
The process has for the first time been made more public, with the Presidency publishing the names of the 12 shortlisted candidates, and after NGO Right to Know secured a high court order that the interviews be made public. During the interviews, Ramaite said he was not aware of any crisis in the NPA. Panellist, Advocate Jaap Cilliers, said: “Dr Ramaite, I’m a bit concerned about your answers. I would appreciate it if you answered in more practical terms. It seems to me you agree that at present the NPA is in a crisis. Would you agree with that?”
Ramaite disagreed. “As we speak now, no. At the time that I was asked to act, there was certainly a big challenge. Especially at head office level. If you look at what is happening, in the offices of the directors of public prosecutions, there has been a lot of improvement in terms of the work that is being done.” This did no convince Cilliers, but Ramaite stood firm.
Another candidate, Advocate Matodzi Rachel Makhari, a chief prosecutor in the North West, felt she was suitable for the job despite not having any high court experience.
Cilliers asked Makhari how she would be able to manage people more experienced and had handled matters in the superior courts. “Seeing that the more important and serious cases are dealt with in the high court, you will obviously be dealing with people who may have more experience than you in that field – do you see that creating any problem for you?”
Makhari said she did not view her lack of high court experience as a problem. “I don’t find it a challenge at all, because (with) complicated, high-profile cases in most instances you find that it’s teamwork involved, not just one person dealing with the matter. If I look back at the previous NDPPs who have also driven the process where high-profile cases were prosecuted, you see that they didn’t have the same kind of experience,” Makhari said.
She said she did her work without fear or favour, having earned the nickname “Dragon Lady”.
“When you are a great leader, you influence those who are below you and those above you. The impact I have had on our division is felt not only in my cluster but in others.”
Lutendo Sigogo of the Black Lawyers Society, also a panellist, asked whether there were people who felt owed by Makhari and would seek to advance their interests if she landed the top post.
Makhari said: “I don’t have people I think will try to influence me. What I have demonstrated by my way of living is that it’s not easy; you will not find it easy to influence me for something that is wrong. I cannot do that.”
Director of Public Prosecutions in Joburg, Andrew Chauke, was grilled about his decision to provisionally withdraw charges against then-head of Crime Intelligence Richard Mdluli, in relation to the 1999 murder of Oupa Ramogibe, which panellist attorney Mvuzo Notyesi said was set aside by the Supreme Court of Appeal. Chauke said his interpretation of the appeal court judgment was not that he had taken the wrong decision.
The DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach, who had been nominated for the post, withdrew from the shortlist. The interviews end tomorrow.
When you are a great leader, you influence those who are below you and those above you
Advocate Matodzi Rachel Makhari
Candidate for the position of NDPP