Ramaphosa Appoints SIU Head Mothibi as NDPP in Surprise Move After Panel Found No Suitable Candidates
PRETORIA, 6 January 2026. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday appointed Advocate Jan Lekgoa (Andy) Mothibi as South Africa's new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), effective 1 February 2026, in an appointment described as unexpected by observers after Mothibi was not among the six...
Ramaphosa Appoints SIU Head Mothibi as NDPP in Surprise Move After Panel Found No Suitable Candidates
PRETORIA, 6 January 2026. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday appointed Advocate Jan Lekgoa (Andy) Mothibi as South Africa's new National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), effective 1 February 2026, in an appointment described as unexpected by observers after Mothibi was not among the six candidates interviewed by the presidential advisory panel tasked with identifying a successor to the retiring Shamila Batohi.
The advisory panel had assessed 32 initial applicants, narrowing the field to six finalists before concluding in its December 2025 report to the President that none of the candidates were suitable for the role. Ramaphosa subsequently exercised his prerogative under the National Prosecuting Authority Act to appoint outside the panel's recommendations, selecting Mothibi, who has served as head of the Special Investigating Unit since 2019.
Mothibi's career includes work as a public prosecutor in the Johannesburg and Soweto Magistrates' Courts, service as a magistrate, and senior roles at the South African Revenue Service, including as head of Corporate Legal Services and head of Governance. The SIU, which he has led for over six years, is mandated to investigate corruption and maladministration in government institutions and to recover assets and losses incurred by the state.
The Democratic Alliance said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the appointment, noting that the advisory panel process had not yielded a suitable candidate but that the SIU's record under Mothibi spoke for itself. Parliament's justice committee chairperson welcomed the appointment, citing Mothibi's "reputation and successes at the SIU." Civil society organisations involved in corruption-accountability work reserved judgment pending further engagement with the incoming NDPP.
Batohi, who held the position since February 2019, will formally retire at the end of January 2026. Her tenure included high-profile prosecutions linked to the State Capture era and the corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma.
The NDPP heads the National Prosecuting Authority, which bears constitutional responsibility for prosecutions in South Africa. The position is appointed by the President and may not be dismissed without a stringent process involving judicial oversight.