Retired Judge Robert Nugent, who led the SARS inquiry into tax administration, has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint an urgent judge-led inquiry into the National Prosecuting Authority’s structure and performance, ahead of appointing a new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). Nugent advises that the NDPP nomination process should match the rigor and transparency of the SARS commissioner selection in 2019, to boost public confidence and institutional resilience cde.org.za.
The call aligns with recommendations from the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), which highlights the NPA’s struggles to prosecute major state capture and corruption cases. CDE notes that since its creation in 1998, no NDPP has filled a full ten-year term and several past appointments have been overturned due to procedural flaws.
CDE’s second report on the NPA stresses that NDPP candidates must meet strict criteria—proven leadership, impeccable integrity, legal expertise across all courts—and face evaluation by an independent panel of judges, prosecutors, civil society, business, and public service experts. It suggests interviews be conducted privately but that decisions and reasoned recommendations be made public cde.org.za.
CDE also recommends that Ramaphosa refrain from extending current NDPP Shamila Batohi’s term beyond her mandatory retirement in January 2026, arguing that fresh leadership is essential. provide a roadmap for rebuilding the NPA’s capacity to tackle high-level corruption and restore its reputation—a model similar to the 2019 Nugent Commission’s impact on SARS. comes amid growing concern that the NPA’s current appointment procedures are insufficiently transparent and aligned to the demands of South Africa’s fight against corruption.
