Staff Reporter
Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has appointed Special Investigating Unit (SIU) chief legal counsel Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara as acting head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), replacing Andrea Johnson following her resignation in July.
Kubayi made the appointment in consultation with National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi, the Justice Ministry said late on Thursday.
Vanara will take up the position with immediate effect while the process to fill the post permanently is under way.
He takes over an anti-corruption directorate that has faced severe scrutiny following evidence before the Madlanga Commission about its investigations and the conduct of some of its officials.
Johnson resigned as IDAC head on 27 July, with President Cyril Ramaphosa agreeing that she could leave office immediately rather than serve out her notice period.
Her departure followed weeks of controversy surrounding IDAC’s investigations into senior Crime Intelligence officials and testimony before the Commission.
In her resignation letter, Johnson said she had faced “unprecedented attacks” in her personal and professional capacity arising from IDAC’s investigations into Crime Intelligence.
Days before her resignation, Johnson conceded before the commission that an allegation at the centre of an IDAC case — that Crime Intelligence official Brigadier Dineo Mokwele was unqualified for an engineering-related position — was factually incorrect.
The Justice Ministry and the NPA had already raised concerns about IDAC’s credibility after testimony before the commission contained allegations about the conduct of Johnson and other officials.
After her departure, Kubayi announced a series of measures aimed at restoring confidence in the directorate, including an audit of IDAC cases, lifestyle audits of its employees, a review of staff qualifications and job profiles, and a review of its operating procedures. Several officials were also suspended pending disciplinary proceedings.
IDAC, which falls within the NPA, is tasked with investigating and prosecuting serious and high-level corruption and related commercial crimes.
Vanara has more than 25 years of legal and governance experience and has served as the SIU’s chief legal counsel since August 2023. His responsibilities there include civil litigation and asset recovery, legal support for investigations and corporate legal services.
Before joining the SIU, Vanara was group executive for legal, governance and regulatory affairs at the SABC and held senior legal positions in Parliament.
He holds BProc, LLB and LLM qualifications.
Kubayi said she had confidence in Vanara’s ability to lead the directorate with “integrity and conscientiousness”.
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