President gets it right with filling NPA job

One of the most destructive aspects of the state capture project was the hijacking of the criminal justice system.

The investigation sector was subverted to the job of protecting those in power. At the same time, the prosecutorial apparatus was rendered ineffective in delivering real justice, because the highest offices of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) were filled with those loyal to former president Jacob Zuma.

None of those appointments were as controversial as that of NPA head Shaun Abrahams, who was removed from office after the Constitutional Court ruled his appointment was invalid.

So, it is heartening to see President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to bring new transparency to the process to find a replacement for Abrahams. He has set up a panel, which includes the General Council of the Bar, Law Society of South Africa, Black Lawyers Association, the National Association of Democratic Laywers, Advocates for Transformation, the auditor-general and the South African Human Rights Commission.

In a departure from the executive rule which characterised the Zuma years, Ramaphosa’s move has brought civil society back into one of the most important decision-making processes in the country.

Let us hope that this integrity and commitment to real democracy will remain a hallmark of Ramaphosa’s tenure.

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