Cyril Ramaphosa Suspends Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke
- Shortly after announcing that he fired Dr Nobuhle Nkabane as the Higher Education minister, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a high-ranking official's suspension
- Ramaphosa suspended the South Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Andrew Chauke
- South Africans were happy that he was suspended, as this followed a list of public servants being removed from their posts
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, cabinet reshuffles, the State of the Nation Address, Parliamentary Proceedings, and politician-related news, as well as elections, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.
Source: UGC
GAUTENG — South Africans were excited when President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended the South Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Andrew Chauke.
In a statement released by the Presidency on its @PresidencyZA X account on 21 July 2025, Ramaphosa said Chauke is under investigation into his fitness to hold office. Ramaphosa said that Chauke faces serious accusations that would negatively affect the National Prosecuting Authority's reputation as a whole.
Read the X statement here:
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Why was Chauke suspended?
Allegations about Chauke's fitness to hold office went as far back as 2022. According to Daily Maverick, Chauke was accused of preventing State Capture cases from being fully prosecuted. This includes the cases of corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.
Chauke also took the late journalist Karima Brown to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa after she alleged that Chauke failed to criminally charge Gauteng's former MEC for Health, Brian Hlongwa. Hlongwa currently faces multiple charges of corruption for his involvement in unlawfully awarding Health Department contracts from 2006 and 2010.
Source: Getty Images
Who else was recently removed from office?
On 21 July, Ramaphosa fired Dr Nobuhle Nkabane as the Minister of Higher Education after she failed to appear before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education. She was accused of irregularly appointing Sector Education and Authority board chairpersons.
She was also accused of flouting the rules of Parliament in her conduct in the National Assembly during appearances to account for the irregular appointments.
Ramaphosa also placed police minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave pending an investigation into the allegations KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made about him. Mkhwanazi accused him of interfering with the work of the Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal.
What did South Africans say?
South Africans were happy that Chauke was suspended.
Mr airtime said:
"Ziyakhala today. Thank you, General Mkhwanazi."
Evidence Bongwe said:
"We're waiting for Mchunu to be fired now."
Sizwe asked:
"Can Cyril Ramaphosa suspend the Station Commander of Pretoria Police Station? The cops there are dangerously corrupt and are a danger to society."
Amerikaner Boerin said:
"Election trick! Don't be fooled. He is just diverting attention away from his cadres, who will implicate him."
Edwin said:
"He dedicated this day to firing and suspending. Cook, wena Cupcake."
Deputy National Commissioner placed on special leave
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the National Police commissioner, General Fannie Mademola, placed Deputy National Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya on special leave. This was after Mkhwanazi implicated him in Mchunu's alleged interference in the work of the Political Killings Task Team.
Sibiya was accused of acting on Mchunu's orders to disband the Politica Killings Task Team. Sibiya was placed on leave shortly after Mchunu was also placed on leave.
Source: Briefly News
