Shamila Batohi

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 4: Newly appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Shamila Batohi speaks moments after her appointment was announced by President Cyril Ramaphsa at the Union Buildings on November 4, 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa. Batohi, who is the first woman to be appointed the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), will start her new role in February next year. (Photo by Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe)

Shamila Batohi assembles state capture team to fast-track prosecutions

Shamila Batohi makes the first move in attempting to stabilise South Africa’s prosecuting authority.

Shamila Batohi

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 4: Newly appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Shamila Batohi speaks moments after her appointment was announced by President Cyril Ramaphsa at the Union Buildings on November 4, 2018 in Pretoria, South Africa. Batohi, who is the first woman to be appointed the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), will start her new role in February next year. (Photo by Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe)

Shamil Batohi, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) newly-appointed head of public prosecutions, has struck her first move in addressing allegations that have been made in the state capture inquiry.

As reported by EWN, Batohi’s response to mounting pressure to act on state capture has been in the form of a legal team of senior prosecutors who have been tasked with bringing those implicated to book.

High-ranking figures implicated in state capture

Thus far, Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo has heard damning allegations about how the Gupta and Watson family allegedly infiltrated government with bribes to secure multi-million rand contracts.

ReadState capture: Oellermann details how untouchable Gavin Watson was

High-ranking government officials like Ace Magashule, the ANC’s secretary-general, Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, and Minerals Minister, Gwede Mantashe, and many others have been directly fingered as beneficiaries of the ongoing looting of the public purse and bribes.

All of this evidence will provide Zondo with enough information to measure the extent of corruption that has, at least since former president Jacob Zuma’s tenure on the seat of power, captured the state.

Shamila Batohi assembles A-team of prosecutors

Batohi, who’s been the NPA boss for two months, vowed to bring some sort of stability in the institution.

The first point of call, and possibly the most important, was to form a team of senior prosecutors whose duty is to extend criminal investigations against all of those who have been implicated in the Zondo commission.

Advocate Andrea Johnson and Pretoria’s chief prosecutor, Matric Luphondo, have been called up to fast-track the prosecutorial process in the state capture inquiry.

ReadAndile Ramaphosa’s R2m Bosasa deal could force Cyril to face state capture inquiry

Johnson, according to the NPA’s Bulelwa Makeke, will be responsible for all prosecutorial matters related to the Zondo commission.

The advocate played a key role in prosecuting former police commissioner, Jackie Selebi.

Luphondo will be the K-9 of the newly-formed team.

His duty will be to follow-up on leads and sniff out any allegations that come out of the state capture inquiry.

Willie Hofmeyr, the man who was targeted y former NPA boss, Shaun Abrahams, has been reinstated as the head of the prosecuting authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, the investigative body that has been on the heels of Bosasa (now trading as African Global Operations).