Batohi warns of threats to NPA independence as Nkabinde Inquiry probes Chauke

By Johnathan Paoli

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi has warned that prosecutorial independence in South Africa is constantly being challenged, telling the Nkabinde Inquiry on Thursday that attempts to influence the work of prosecutors remain a persistent and serious concern.

Batohi was testifying for a second consecutive day before the panel chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Bess Nkabinde.

The Inquiry examines the fitness of suspended Johannesburg Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Andrew Chauke to hold office.

Chauke was suspended in July after Batohi asked nearly two years earlier for disciplinary action over allegations that he interfered in politically sensitive cases.

For much of her evidence across the two days, Batohi outlined the legal framework governing the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Code of Conduct for prosecutors, and the core principle of prosecutorial independence as enshrined in the NPA Act.

She repeatedly stressed that prosecutors must act