WHEN former Senior Control Prosecutor Nkosinathi Mncube reluctantly accepted his appointment as official spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority in October 2013, he had no idea that his natural media shyness and preference for privacy, was about to be shattered on a grand scale.
‘My father passed away unexpectedly in 2012. Two hours later, I was approached with an offer to become the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson. I was extremely distraught and the last thing I wanted to do was to be on television or in the media. The position was however never filled and when the offer was repeated a year later, a good friend and my mom told me that there was a calling on my life, that God was speaking to me and that they could see me doing the job because I am honest and diplomatic.’
Climbing the ranks from District Court interpreter in Pietermaritzburg to Senior Public Prosecutor in Pretoria, Control Prosecutor of the Specialist Fraud Unit and husband to Regional Court Magistrate, Nozipho, Nathi knew the justice system like the palm of his hand. But, he was about to have an encounter with a beast of another kind. The media spotlight.
Media bashing
In February 2014, barely two months in the saddle, the Oscar Pistorius case broke and an epic media circus ensued. Within hours, Pretoria High Court was swamped with over 300 international journalists excluding local reporters, camera men and crowds of supporters of the Steenkamp family as well as the so-called Pistorians .
‘It was tiring to talk and talk and talk. There were live interviews with international broadcasting channels such as BBC, SKY News, CNN and CNBS. They fire away with questions and you must be able to respond promptly. Because of the time differences, I had to be available at strange hours of the day and night. There were also language barriers, such as Chinese journalists who could not communicate in English.
‘I was suddenly publicly bashed by Oscar supporters who didn’t all understand that I was just a mouthpiece for the NPA; not the prosecutor nor the judge, nor voicing my personal opinion. I was attacked on social media and there was insults, abuse and bullying on Twitter. I later came to realise that it was just part of the job. The whole case had an element of fanaticism.’
Shortly after his fiery trial, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Mogoeng Mogoeng, indicated that he wanted him to take up a position as Head of Court Administration and Spokesperson for the Judiciary.
‘I was so humbled by all of this. When I was 23, skinny and very dark of complexion, I went into the tea room where the magistrates were gathered. They looked so posh and intimidating. They stared at me like something the cat dragged in. I pressed through and told them in a squeaky voice that I was interested in becoming a magistrate. They laughed me out. I never expected my life would take this turn. I am grateful for everything. I don’t ask for anything more.’
‘I believe God brought me to the place for a purpose and that he ordained a path for me to walk on. The path is sometimes wide and we tend to get distracted and move from side to side instead of walking straight. But I know I am serving a purpose. I should live my life with integrity, respect and every ounce of my life I should commit 100% to be the best person I can be.’
PHOTO: ewn.co.za
‘I had the very rare privilege of having a private conversation with our Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Mogoeng Mogoeng. He is a very busy man, so I treasured every moment of our conversation.
‘My impressions of him was of a humble man with strong principles and personal conviction, deeply aware that his job is a calling and not a career. What made a big imprint on me was that he spoke so passionately about his vision for the judicial system.
‘He said to me ‘Nathi, I want to make life easier for the ordinary people like my mother, so that when they have matters to be resolved in court, that the process should be as easy and accessible as possible. It is a service we must provide with excellence. He is a servant leader at heart.’ Nkosinathi Mncube about Chief Justice Mogoeng.
Interesting facts
Nathi was born in Claremont Durban at the Marianne Hill Hospital and raised in eMondlo, Vryhied. He spent his teenage years in Pietermaritzburg.
He is most inspired by his parents and especially his mother who believes in education as the only key to success, his wife who helps him stay focused and ordinary people who believe in commitment and hard work.
He started studying law because he tried to impress a history teacher he had a crush on.
‘She was beautiful and I even nicknamed her Peacock. Her boyfriend was a lawyer, so I pretended to be interested in law so I could keep talking to her. I think she saw right through me. But at the time I believed I was clever.’
His brother died in violent times in Vryheid three days before the first Democratic Elections in South Africa and he still regards this as the biggest trauma of his life.
He studied at the University of Zululand.
He addressed his wife as Miss Makhanya and immediately knew she was his future wife. She blew him off several times before finally succumbing to his persistence.
