National Prosecuting Authority
- Profile
- Contact
Constitutional Mandate
The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA) derives its mandate from section 179 of the Constitution.
Section 179 (2) expressly empowers the prosecuting authority to institute criminal proceedings on behalf of the State, and to carry out any necessary functions incidental thereto, without fear, favour or prejudice.
NPA Governance Structure
The National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), as head of the prosecuting authority, and Directors of Public Prosecutions (DPPs), as heads of the NPA at the various seats of the High Court, are responsible for compliance with the abovementioned constitutional obligation. The NDPP must determine prosecution policy and issue policy directives, which must be observed in the prosecution process. The NDPP has four deputies responsible for the various sub-programmes of the NPA – including general and specialised prosecutions, asset forfeiture and witness protection.
NPA Contribution to Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster
The NPA contributes to the achievement of the following cluster outputs:
■ Output 1: Reduced overall levels of serious crime, in particular, contact and trio crimes
■ Output 2: A more effective Criminal Justice System (CJS)
■ Output 3: Reduced corruption
■ Output 4: Managed and improve perceptions of crime among the population
■ Output 7: Secure cyber space
These outputs are further refined, and specific activities and measures are identified for each. In respect of the NPA the following require priority:
a. Prosecute serious and priority crimes, which includes corruption and contact crimes
b. Improve prosecutor capacity and efficiency
c. Participate in the implementation of integrated case flow management in all courts
d. Increase the finalisation of criminal cases through trials and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
e. Improve support to victims of crime, which includes an increase in the number of Thuthuzela Care Centres
f. Successfully convict 100 people by 2014 for corruption where the amount involved is more than R5 million
The Chief Executive Officer is the Accounting Officer for the NPA, with delegated powers from the Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
