Justice and Correctional Services Committee briefed by the National Prosecuting Authority
16 October 2019
The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services received a briefing yesterday from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on its 2018/19 Annual Performance Plan.
There committee heard that although there are high expectations of the NPA, however, the following challenges exist. These include lack of credibility, divisions within the organisation, severe budgetary limitations, high vacancy rates, low staff morale – Staff Survey, limited professional development and training, weakened sense of values and identity, inefficiencies in the NPA.
Efficiencies of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster like monitoring of performance, lack of aligned and/or common targets within the JCPS cluster and lack of allocation of dedicated resources and budget to manage JCPS cluster priorities were also highlighted. The committee heard challenges in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) includes capacity constraints within partners in the CJS, lack of resources – human, technical, lack of skills, corruption and demoralisation and apathy.\
Adv Shamila Batohi told the committee that although the NPA has internal problems, the CJS has functional problems to the extend where some may say it is dysfunctional. Regarding the accommodation of Adv Hermione Cronje as head of the Investigating Directorate in the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions who has been in the media recently, Adv Bathohi clarified and said there is nothing luxurious about her accommodation and she was does not travel business class.
She told the committee that the Steinhoff investigations and well as the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal was getting great attention.
Committee Chairperson, Mr Bulelani Magwanishe, appealed that the investigation into the State Attorney’s Office be speeded up. Furthermore, he said the committee will carefully monitor all investigations and commitments made by the NPA.
Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services, 16 October 2019
