NPA withdrew more than 41,000 drug cases over three years, parliamentary reply shows

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) withdrew more than 41,000 drug-related cases after enrolment over the three financial years from 2023/24 to 2025/26, a written parliamentary reply by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says.

Numbers from the parliamentary reply

According to the reply, the NPA enrolled 87,867 drug-related cases for prosecution between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years. Of those, more than 41,000 cases were withdrawn after enrolment.

The reply also states that the NPA successfully prosecuted 13,234 drug-related cases during the same three-year period.

Provincial picture

The Western Cape recorded the highest number of withdrawals, with 23,125 cases withdrawn over the three-year period. KwaZulu‑Natal followed with 6,196 withdrawals and the Eastern Cape recorded 4,576 withdrawals.

On successful prosecutions, the Western Cape accounted for the largest share, with 9,538 convictions. The Eastern Cape had 925 convictions, Mpumalanga 812 and KwaZulu‑Natal 302 for the three financial years combined.

Reasons, discharges and other notes

Minister Kubayi said the NPA does not keep centralised statistics on the reasons for withdrawals in drug-related cases, although she noted that reasons are recorded in individual dockets.

“The National Prosecuting Authority does not keep statistics on the reasons for withdrawals in drug-related cases; reasons are, however, recorded in the dockets,” she said.

The minister added that the South African Police Service is responsible for arrest statistics. The reply also notes that 602 drug-related cases were discharged in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which allows a court to acquit an accused if there is no evidence on which a reasonable court could convict.

Related prosecutorial figures on absconding parolees

In a separate parliamentary reply, Kubayi said 1,001 charges have been brought against absconding parolees since the 2017/18 financial year. The NPA reported that historical data before 2017/18 was unavailable because an electronic system to record the statistics was only introduced in 2017/18.

Since 2017/18, prosecutors have secured 976 convictions from the 1,001 cases. The highest number of matters was recorded in the 2018/19 financial year, when 189 matters were prosecuted and 187 resulted in convictions. The reply also says that in the current 2026/27 financial year to date, all 18 cases enrolled have resulted in convictions.