CAPE TOWN, November 10 – The Presidency on Friday confirmed the leaked shortlist of candidates who will be vying for the position of National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).
The list includes acting National Prosecuting Authority boss Silas Ramaite, former prosecutor turned opposition member of Parliament (MP) Glynnis Breytenbach, Gauteng South director of public prosecutions (DPP) Andrew Chauke, and his Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape counterparts, Moipone Noko and Rodney de Kock, respectively.
The other candidates, according to the presidency, are:
— Advocate Shamila Batohi, a former KwaZulu-Natal DPP who later worked as senior legal advisor to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague;
— Advocate Andrea Johnson, one of the prosecutors in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial;
— Advocate Matric Luphondo, chief prosecutor of the NPA’s Pretoria cluster;
— Advocate Naomi Manaka, who became an advocate after serving as a magistrate after several years;
— Advocate M Makhari;
— Advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, a former acting director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, who was replaced with Noko in 2012, allegedly for refusing to stop the prosecution of two politicians in the province; and
— Mr S.X. Mapoma.
The presidency said the candidates were selected on Thursday night after an advisory panel set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa met.
“Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe chairs a panel comprising broad representation of the legal fraternity which is mandated to identify potential candidates, establish that they meet the required criteria, conduct interviews with potential candidates, and recommend at least three candidates to the president.”
Interviews are set to take place next week between November 14 and 16.
The names of the candidates were leaked on Thursday, leading the presidency to originally refute the shortlist. (ANA)
