The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has itself to blame for the attacks to which it is being subjected, say MPs on the justice portfolio committee.
The NPA recently appeared before the committee to discuss its annual report and complained about the continued attacks fired at the unit. Acting national director of public prosecutions Mokotedi Mpshe said staff morale in the NPA was low because of the constant attacks that the unit faced from political quarters.
The African National Congress members on the committee told Mpshe that the blame was with the NPA itself, because it constantly leaked information to the media. These leaks implicated individuals who are under investigation but not yet charged.
Correctional services portfolio committee chairperson Dennis Bloem told the NPA that information finding its way into newspapers ”contribute[d] to the attacks that the NPA was complaining about”.
The head of the Scorpions, Leonard McCarthy, was not present at the hearing and discussions about the Scorpions were postponed until the committee’s next meeting this week.
Justice committee chairperson Yunus Carrim warned the NPA that it had to ”look at itself and ask whether it has contributed to [the situation]. There are people who are being investigated and it is reported in the media, but they don’t know about it themselves. Then it takes four years before it is brought to court. This has devastating consequences on the life of that person.”
Head of the special investigations unit Willie Hofmeyr admitted to the committee that the NPA had a problem with media leaks three years ago, but that the unit had since tried ”everything possible” to prevent this.