NDPP selection panel names five candidate

© Evgenyi Lastochkin – 123RF.com

The five advocates have been selected as the cream of the crop that could take over the position of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).

The advisory panel chaired by Energy Minister Jeff Radebe and tasked with making recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa selected the five candidates out of the 11 candidates interviewed.

The panel comprised of the Auditor General Kimi Makwethu, South African Human Rights Commission Bongani Majola; Jaap Cilliers from the General Council of the Bar of South Africa; the Law Society’s Richard Scott; Lutendo Sigogo from the Black Lawyers Association; Lawrence Manye from the Advocates for Transformation and the National Association of Democratic Lawyers’ Mvuzi Nyotesi.

The public interviews took place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from Wednesday 14 November 2018 to Friday 16 November.

NDPP interviews underway at Union Buildings

14 Nov 2018

The NDPP position became vacant in August after the Constitutional Court declared invalid and unconstitutional the appointment of Shaun Abrahams and the removal of his predecessor, Mxolisi Nxasana.

The Constitutional Court gave the President 90 court days from 13 August to appoint a new NDPP.

Top prosecutor and DA member of parliament, Glynis Breytenbach, withdrew from the race on Wednesday 14 November.

Minister Radebe expressed the appreciation of the panel to all interviewees for availing themselves to serve in a nationally critical role and to do so in a public, transparent process.

“The nomination of five candidates reflected the confidence of the panel that the position of NDPP would be filled by a fit and proper national director and reflected the depth of leadership capacity and legal excellence in South Africa’s legal sector,” said Radebe.

The ball is now in the President’s court to make a decision and select the next NDPP within the timeline directed by the Constitutional Court.