Brigadier Dineo Mokwele’s Legal Team Expresses Disappointment As NPA Provisionally Withdraws Charges

• Brigadier Dineo Mokwele's legal team reacted to the National Prosecuting Authority's decision regarding the charges against her
• National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Andy Mothibi, confirmed that the charges were dropped on a provisional basis
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the NPA's decision and the brigadier's legal team's response to the charges being dropped

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG — The legal team representing Brigadier Dineo Mokwele has publicly pushed back against the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to provisionally withdraw the charges against her.

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Andy Mothibi, confirmed on 27 July 2026 that the charges were dropped on a provisional basis, a move the brigadier’s lawyers described as a "belated attempt to preserve a position" that cannot be sustained.

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Mokwele, as well as South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and several co-accused, were charged with corruption, fraud, money laundering, and breaching the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).

Lawyers reject incomplete investigation claim

In an official statement released on Monday, 27 July 2026, Mokwele’s lawyer James Ndebele said that they were reviewing the decision and consulting with the brigadier before deciding on a course of action.

At the core of the dispute is the NDPP's assertion that the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has not yet concluded its investigation, and that the withdrawal is therefore not permanent.

Ndebele's statement described this characterisation as causing ‘considerable disappointment’, arguing that the completion of investigations had previously been accepted as common cause between the parties.

The statement went further, saying the claim was "unsupported by facts or history" and amounted to an attempt by IDAC and the NPA to salvage what it called an increasingly untenable position. Advocate Andrea Johnson recently confirmed that she approved the arrest of Mokwele without ever looking at her qualifications.

How did South Africans react?

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Social media users were quick to weigh in on the NDPP's position, with many questioning its consistency with earlier statements made by IDAC.

@llutladi wrote:

"I agree with them because previously IDAC said the investigations are complete and they're ready for the trial. NPA is playing games here."

@VanoSequestered asked:

"But Johnson testified that the investigations were complete. Did she not?"

@LSiphe3414 also questioned:

" Didn’t IDAC say the investigations were complete during the bail proceedings?"

@KerryVilakazi said:

"I'm also disappointed by that."

@MabhedlaKa stated:

“I can understand why Mokwele's legal team would challenge the NDPP's reasoning. If the investigation was incomplete, why were summonses, warrants and prosecutions authorised in the first place? Are these new investigative steps, or attempts to cure deficiencies that existed?”

IPID withdraws charges against senior SAPS officials

Briefly News reported about Advocate Mothibi's decision to withdraw the charges against Crime Intelligence boss General Dumisani Khumalo and his co-accused.

This pivotal move raises questions about the future of the investigation and the integrity of the legal proceedings surrounding high-level corruption within South Africa's law enforcement agencies.

Source: Briefly News