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The Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, Glynnis Breytenbach addresses the media at Parliament in Cape Town on June 6, 2025.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Glynnis Breytenbach says establishing an anti-corruption unit would be an effective way of boosting prosecutions following the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) loss of high-profile court cases.
The cases include the Nigerian televangelist, Timothy Omotoso and the asbestos extradition ones.
On Tuesday, the High Court found that former Free State Premier Ace Magashule’s former personal assistant Moroadi Cholota’s extradition from the United States (US) was unlawful, while Omotoso and two others were acquitted of 32 charges including rape, racketeering and human trafficking last month.
Breytenbach addressed the media at Parliament on the DA’s concerns about the performance of the NPA.
She says, “To produce competent, highly skilled people can take up to 20 years. They are winning some cases, but it’s the high-profile cases the public have invested in, those cases seem to fail. So support the anti-corruption bill, I truly believe it’s the answer to this problem.”
Shamila Batohi
Breytenbach says they will not support a call for the removal of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDDP), Adv. Shamila Batohi.
When Batohi was appointed in 2018, she pledged to restore the integrity of the NPA, however, six years later, critics have argued that the institution is mired in high-profile failures.
Several parties in Parliament are calling for her head, but Breytenbach says removing her would be counter-productive.
“We certainly wouldn’t table such a motion, nor support. The NDPP is not the problem at the NPA, not a one man or woman job, not doing a bad job. Failures at the NPA is not attributable to her and her alone.”
VIDEO | DA addresses the NPA prosecution crisis:
Earlier this morning, Batohi highlighted salary dispensation as one of the challenges the NPA is facing. She says this has led to the authority losing skilled members to institutions that can pay better salaries.
Batohi is adamant that the NPA is not in crisis:
