National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi is standing firm as the NPA prepares a renewed effort to extradite the Gupta brothers. Image: Sharon Seretlo/Gallo image.
(The Post News)– National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi is standing her ground as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prepares a renewed attempt to extradite the Gupta brothers. This follows setbacks in earlier efforts to have them returned to South Africa to face corruption charges.
In an interview with Newsroom Africa, Batohi stated that the difficulties in extraditing the Gupta brothers do not lie with the NPA. She explained that they are still seeking clarity from the UAE on why the application to extradite the Gupta brothers was unsuccessful.
“We have sent numerous notes to the UAE, and we haven’t satisfactorily received a response. “The NPA is working very hard, and I don’t want to give a time frame, but I am certainly hoping that within the next couple of months, they will be able to put together a new extradition with additional charges,” said Batohi.
An attempt to extradite the Gupta brothers was made in 2023, but the application failed. “We certainly don’t want to experience the same fate with the new extradition application when we don’t have some of the reasons from the UAE court denying the first application,” she said.
The Gupta brothers are accused of using their close relationship with former President Jacob Zuma to influence key government decisions and appointments, allowing them to benefit financially from the state.
The Zuma and Gupta families, often called ‘The Zuptas’, have been linked to allegations of state capture, although both families have denied any wrongdoing.
In the meantime, political parties are divided on whether Batohi should leave her position. Some are calling for her removal because of big cases the NPA has failed to handle well. These failures have made people lose trust in the NPA and question if it can still deliver justice. One of the biggest disappointments was the failed case against Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, who was facing serious charges like rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
ActionSA has called for Adv Shamila Batohi to be removed right away from her role as the National Director of Public Prosecutions. The party is also asking for a full investigation by Parliament into the NPA’s continued failures to prosecute cases and how much political interference may be affecting its work.
Athol Trollip MP, ActionSA Parliamentary Leader, said in a statement, “In light of this crisis, ActionSA will formally write to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, to demand urgent intervention and the commencement of a process to remove Adv Shamila Batohi in terms of Section 12 of the NPA Act. South Africans deserve a National Director of Public Prosecutions who delivers justice, not excuses.”
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