Loss of prosecutors a blow to crime fighting in SA

The loss of more prosecutors would be catastrophic for crime prevention in the country‚ says National Prosecuting Authority boss Shaun Abrahams.

Abrahams was briefing parliament’s committee on justice and correctional services on Tuesday about the NPA’s annual performance plan.

He said that 78 prosecutors had been lost to the magistrates’ profession over the past two years. About 70% of all magistrates’ posts were occupied by prosecutors.

“We cannot afford to lose any more prosecutors or it will be catastrophic for crime prevention in the country‚” he explained.

The committee heard that the NPA had a budget shortfall of R186 million in the 2018/19 financial year‚ amounting to R435 million over the medium term expenditure framework‚ according to a statement issued by committee chairperson Dr Mathole Motshekga.

Funds for critical vacancies amounted to R67.1 million. This came down to R29.2 million for 156 aspirant prosecutors for 12 months and R37.9 million for 53 posts in the Director of Public Prosecutions Offices in Polokwane and Mpumalanga.

Abrahams said that a further 244 critical posts had been identified‚ which would cost R153 million.

Speaking about AfriForum’s bid to prosecute Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema‚ Abrahams described the NGO as “opportunistic” as it had first wanted a certificate indicating that the NPA would not prosecute the case. As the investigations were still ongoing‚ a certificate was not issued‚ yet the NGO went public to indicate it would embark on a private prosecution‚ Abrahams said.