President Cyril Ramaphosa Appoints Advocate Jan Mothibi As National Director of Public Prosecutions
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a new National Director of Public Prosecutions to replace Advocate Shamila Batohi
- Advocate Jan Lekgoa Mothibi is currently the Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and began his career as a Public Prosecutor
- Six candidates were interviewed by a panel for the position of new head of the National Prosecuting Authority
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a new National Director of Public Prosecutions, selecting Advocate Jan Lekgoa Mothibi to replace Advocate Shamila Batohi.
Adv. Mothibi, who is currently the Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), will take over the role from 1 February 2026. Adv. Batohi’s contract officially ends on 31 January 2026. She has faced criticism throughout her tenure and even calls for her to step down before her contract ended. In February 2025, she had been in the post without securing one high-profile conviction.
Adv. Mothibi was then selected as the new Head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), despite not being shortlisted for the post. Six candidates were shortlisted and underwent interviews, but none were considered suitable for the role.
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Who was shortlisted for the post?
After 32 applications were received, six candidates were selected for interviews. They were Adv. Nicolette Bell, Adv. Hermione Cronje, Adv. Andrea Johnson, Adv. Xolisile Khanyile, Adv. Adrian Mopp and Adv. Menzi Simelane.
President Ramaphosa then set up an advisory panel, which conducted the interviews. The panel was led by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi.
Following the conclusion of the interviews, the panel submitted its report to the President on 12 December 2025, but advised that none of the interviewed candidates were suitable for the role of NDPP. The Presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa, in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, decided to appoint Adv. Mothibi.
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Who is Adv. Mothibi?
Adv. Mothibi is a seasoned legal professional who began his career as a Public Prosecutor in Johannesburg and Soweto Magistrates and Regional Courts. He also previously served in various public and private sector roles.
He also worked at the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as Head of Corporate Legal Services and Head of Governance.
With his appointment as the new head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Ramaphosa has appointed Leonard Lekgetho as the Acting Head of the SIU. Lekgetho is currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer of the SIU and has over 22 years of experience in forensic investigations.
Adv. Johnson faces 208 objections
Briefly News reported that Adv. Johnson endured a challenging time during her interview for the position of National Director of Public Prosecutions.
Johnson was quizzed about a reference on her CV, which came from suspended Ekurhuleni legal executive Kemi Behari.
The selection panel also noted that there were several objections to her being named as the person to replace Adv. Batohi.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
