The National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel) has offered to help the National Prosecuting Authority(NPA) save its waning credibility.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ engagement which was organised by the newly appointed ANC task team in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, the Nadel representative Abin Badel said his organisation was ready to play its role in implementing the outcomes of the former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo Commission report and assist the NPA, which he said, is fast losing the faith and confidence of the people.
“The legal fraternity stands ready to play its role in implementing the outcomes of the Zondo report and assisting the NPA which is fast losing the faith and confidence of the people. We look forward to participating in the proposed national dialogue in the interests of charting a new road for the country and our people,” said Badel.
He lamented the problems faced by black legal practitioners, saying the legal fraternity faces numerous challenges, for example, skewed briefing patterns and lack of quality state work for black practitioners in the main, who remain on the margins of the profession 30 years after the liberation.
He said this and many other issues are unacceptable and needed to be addressed by the government as part of addressing the imbalances of the past, adding that many commitments by successive governments have failed to adequately address this crisis.
The NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga had not yet responded to questions that he asked to be sent to him while he was still locked in a meeting.
The NPA, established under Chapter 8 of the Constitution, has been under fire for quite some time following the dismissal of its high-profile cases apparently because of the bungling by its prosecutors.
In November 2023, the NPA suffered a heavy blow when the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Mpumalanga struck the R2.2 billion corruption case off the roll against former Interim Eskom chief executive officer Matshela Koko and his family members.
The NPA annoyed the court when it asked for another postponement which the court deemed unreasonable and struck the case off the roll.
The state institution is still under heavy criticism following the acquittal of the Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, who faced numerous rape and sexual assault charges.
Again in this case, which had dragged on for eight years, many blamed the NPA for bungling it.
The NPA is yet to successfully prosecute anyone that the Zondo Commission recommended criminal charges against after withdrawing the R1.6 million corruption case against former Sports, Arts and Culture minister Zizi Kodwa in November last year.