NPA head must show he’s boss

THE beleaguered National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which has been rattled by accusations of political interference and faction fighting, is in dire need of a huge shake-up if it is to restore some semblance of public confidence.

So there will be keen attention across a broad spectrum of South African society – from those in positions of influence and authority to ordinary men and women in the street – to see if newly appointed NPA boss Shaun Abrahams is the man to steer this embattled ship out of choppy and murky waters.

Abrahams – whose chumminess with President Jacob’s Zuma’s pal, deputy national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba, is no secret – has vowed to prosecute without fear, favour or prejudice. So it is with cautious optimism we welcome this new broom sweeping clean – so long as Abrahams continues to do so unhindered and successfully rids his office of the partisan tarnish which has bedevilled it.

Whether he is able to do so will depend entirely on his commitment to demonstrating that he is, as he says, a “people’s lawyer” and not a politician, that he will not be bowed by any pressure from those who believe the corridors of power are lined with doors they can open and shut as they please.

There can be no faith in the critical role of the NPA unless Abrahams vigorously and visibly guarantees its independence and shows that those who break the law will be pursued with equal determination no matter what their office and how much power they may wield.

If there is a hint of protectionism or reluctance to carry out its mandate unwaveringly, the NPA will remain in the view of many citizens a lame duck simply to be ignored when it quacks in favour of those with the ability to sway it.

First on Abrahams’s “to do” list should be a thorough spring clean of the causes of the NPA’s internal strife and the removal of its protagonists, so he is able to attain his own expectations.