Retired Judge Takalani Joseph Raulinga has been officially announced as the inaugural Ombud of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), with the oversight body’s offices to be housed at SALU Building in Tshwane.
The IDAC Ombud is mandated to investigate allegations of abuse of power, probe allegations of improper conduct, maladministration and related complaints at the directorate.
“The judge is appointed for a non-renewable term of [five] years.
“We have established a team with investigators... We have seconded investigators from the SIU [Special Investigating Unit] to [give] support. We have transferred officials from the Office of the Chief Justice. These officials that will be coming here will be permanently employed into the structure of the office, supported by the department,” Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Kubayi said during a media briefing on Friday.
Answering questions from the media, Kubayi pushed back on inferences that the IDAC may have to start afresh following allegations made against directorate officials at the Madlanga Commission.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to start from scratch. I don’t think that the institution [is at] the point that it is hopeless. There are green shoots. That’s why the ombud, as an oversight mechanism, provides a buffer so that when things don’t go right, they can be investigated independently.
“Institutions cannot be broken on the basis that there are one or two things that have gone wrong,” Kubayi said.
She acknowledged that although allegations may have an impact on institutions, it remains the responsibility of both the Minister of Justice and the Head of the NPA to protect institutions.
“Institutions must always be protected, and individuals can never be above and more important than the organisations. We will consistently evaluate and where appropriate, decisions and actions that need to be taken will be taken.
“We do not want to run commentary [on the Madlanga Commission] but… IDAC is very critical and its formation was for a specific reason. The work must remain credible. Its integrity must be high and the people who are within it must be of high ethical and moral standing. That cannot be compromised,” she asserted.
National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) of the NPA, Advocate Andy Mothibi, said: “IDAC remains a very important institution and there’s good work that it has done. It was established initially to focus on implementing the outcomes of the Zondo Commission. We would like to support it such as it executes its mandate without any shadow of doubt around it.”
Mothibi assured that if allegations at the Madlanga Commission are found to have substance, the prosecutorial body will take disciplinary steps. – SAnews.gov.za
