Former justice DG says NPA never sought funding for TRC prosecutions

By Simon Nare

Former Justice and Constitutional Development Department Director-General Advocate Doctor Mashabane has told the inquiry into the handling of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) faced a shortage of investigators but never approached him for additional funding.

Testifying before the inquiry chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe, Mashabane said he was aware, even before his appointment as director-general in 2019, that the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) was building the capacity of a special project to deal with TRC cases.

He said expanding the project would have required support from the Department of Public Service and Administration to create the necessary structure, as well as additional funding from the National Treasury.

However, Mashabane said that as the department’s accounting officer, responsible for administrative and financial matters, he could not recall ever receiving a request from the NPA for resources