AfriForum delivers damning criticism of the National Prosecuting Authority Bill during parliamentary submission
25 October 2023
The civil rights organisation AfriForum today delivered an oral submission on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Bill before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services. This submission strongly criticised the bill and proposed extensive amendments to it. AfriForum was invited to make this oral presentation after the organisation submitted in-depth written comments on 10 October.
Some of the problems with the bill include that it does not provide satisfactory solutions to the current problems with the NPA, that it fails to ensure clear parliamentary oversight, that it leaves room for political interference in the Prosecuting Authority and that it will lead to reduced confidence in the South African criminal justice system.
“Different approaches can be taken to tackle the current problems in the NPA, but this bill is definitely not the designated solution,” says Louis Boshoff, Campaign Officer at AfriForum who made the presentation on behalf of the organisation. “This bill is a recipe for political interference, and we can expect nothing but a brew of corruption and abuse of power if this recipe is followed.”
AfriForum’s submission approaches the matter proactively and proposes several solutions, such as including clauses that require parliamentary oversight, establish procedures to ensure more transparent appointment of officials and will improve the operational efficiency of the NPA.