Pressure Mounts on Shamila Batohi as Parties Slam NPA’s “Sabotage” Crisis

Calls for accountability escalate after Batohi’s backpedal on NPA sabotage claims, with opposition parties saying the country’s justice system is in trouble.

When National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi recently suggested that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was being sabotaged from within, it sounded like the script of a political thriller. But for many South Africans watching the justice system fumble high-stakes prosecutions, the drama feels all too real.

Now, opposition parties are turning up the heat, accusing Batohi of dodging responsibility for a growing list of prosecutorial flops and saying the real sabotage might just be happening on her watch.

Sabotage or Slip of the Tongue?

Batohi’s comments came in the wake of several embarrassing courtroom defeats, most notably the collapse of the case against former ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule and the bungled attempt to extradite his former assistant from the U.S. She initially cited “infiltration” within the NPA, but quickly backtracked, saying she meant certain cases were being “deliberately sabotaged.”

But that retraction hasn’t stopped the political fallout. The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) was among the first to say enough is enough. “We called for her resignation weeks ago,” said MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela. “She’s shown she’s not up to the task.”

The EFF has gone further, writing to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to demand an urgent debate on what it calls an institutional crisis. “This is not just bureaucratic bungling,” the EFF said. “It’s a constitutional red flag.”

Justice Delayed, Justice Denied

The public’s frustration isn’t without reason. The NPA has failed to secure major wins in cases that symbolized hope for post-Zondo Commission accountability:

• The long-stalled prosecution of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, who was acquitted on over 30 sexual assault charges

• The still-missing Gupta brothers, nearly 10 years after the explosive Gupta Leaks

• And now, the collapse of the Magashule prosecution

These failures have raised suspicions that the prosecuting authority is not just out of its depth, but possibly compromised.

ActionSA’s Athol Trollip echoed the nation’s anger: “The NPA has become a haven for the politically connected. South Africans are wondering, is this incompetence or a cover-up?”

DA Pushes for “Scorpions 2.0”

While some parties want Batohi gone immediately, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking a more strategic approach.

Instead of calling for Batohi’s head, the DA has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the NPA. Justice spokesperson Glynnis Breytenbach announced the party’s “Scorpions 2.0” bill to establish an independent Anti-Corruption Commission free from political meddling.

The DA also wants to amend the Constitution to transfer the power of appointing the NPA head from the President to Parliament — a move it says will safeguard the NPA from political capture.

“Let’s be honest,” Breytenbach said, “when prosecution collapses this often, reform isn’t optional. It’s urgent.”

A Battle for the Soul of the NPA

Batohi has previously said she’d resign if she felt she wasn’t doing her job. Yet even in the face of mounting criticism, she remains in office — and silent. NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga has not responded to media queries.

On social media, the mood is a mix of outrage and resignation. “We waited so long for state capture prosecutions and all we got was excuses,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). Another asked, “Why is no one being held accountable?”

Batohi’s tenure was once hailed as a new dawn for justice in South Africa. But the sun now seems to be setting on that optimism.

As Parliament, political parties, and the public continue to question the NPA’s direction, one thing is clear: the promise of justice cannot survive in an institution riddled with doubt.

South Africans aren’t just asking for a better NPA they’re demanding it. And until they get answers, the pressure on Shamila Batohi isn’t going anywhere.

{Source: IOL}

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