By Phenyo Selinda
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Thembi Simelane, has addressed Parliament and reiterated her department’s full commitment to working with the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigative Directorate (NPA ID) regarding the State Capture Commission’s data. This comes amid reports suggesting the department was obstructing the NPA’s access to the crucial data required for prosecuting high-profile state capture cases. The department is the legal custodian of the Commission’s assets, including the extensive digital and physical archives .
During a meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Simelane clarified that she had not personally been involved in blocking any access to the data. She expressed her willingness to re-examine the situation, stating, “I am here because you have called me to account, and I’ll always do that.” Simelane also noted that she had not yet visited the data centre but pledged to ensure access to the archives if they were housed under the department’s control .
Simelane’s comments came in response to concerns raised by National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Shamila Batohi, who emphasized that the NPA ID requires “unhindered access” to the State Capture Commission’s archives to fulfill its duties effectively. While some access had been provided, Batohi explained that the NPA still lacked the full range of access it needed to proceed with certain investigations .
The Justice Department, in a statement issued earlier, reaffirmed its cooperation with law enforcement agencies, including the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and others. The department highlighted that data requests from these agencies had been consistently addressed, and its data science team continues to support ongoing projects .
This issue has garnered public attention, especially given the backdrop of the NPA’s challenges in securing convictions related to state capture. Despite these hurdles, Simelane has reassured the public and Parliament of her department’s unwavering commitment to transparency and facilitating the ongoing investigations .
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