Your country needs you, Batohi

Shamila Batohi might be about to sip from a poisoned chalice after accepting the appointment as the new head of the National Prosecuting Authority. In the past 14 years, seven people have held the office of national director of public prosecutions and all of them have departed for reasons related to the behaviour of one man: former president Jacob Zuma.

Now, Batohi is expected to begin doing what some of her predecessors could – or would – not: bring Zuma and his cronies to book for state capture.

This time, though, the NPA chief is starting in a new era of hope and justice as the ANC under President Cyril Ramaphosa vows to root out corruption. It may well be too late to recoup the billions lost through looting and mismanagement of government and state-owned enterprises, but it should never be too late to hold people accountable.

If Batohi manages to do that – or even just continues to promote the process already in motion – she will be doing her duty.

The thin judicial line which separates order from anarchy in this country needs all the bolstering it can get.

And we wish Batohi all the strength she will need for the battles ahead.