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Interviews for NPA boss position to be open to the media

The High Court in Pretoria has ruled that the interviews for the new National Director of Public Prosecutions must be open to the media.
The High Court in Pretoria has ruled that the interviews for the new National Director of Public Prosecutions must be open to the media.
Image: 123RF/ rclassenlayouts

Advocacy group Right2Know (R2K) has won its court bid to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to make the interviews for the new National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) national director open to the media.

The interviews of 12 short-listed candidates for the vacant post were originally going to be held behind closed doors, but R2K went to the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday to push for them to be open to the media.

On its Twitter account, R2K said the ruling had been in its favour.

The interviews for the new NDPP head were meant to take place on Wednesday, but will now likely be delayed so that a venue to accommodate the media can be found.

The position has been vacant since August when the Constitutional Court ruled that then NPA boss Shaun Abrahams's appointment was unconstitutional and invalid - this because then president Jacob Zuma's decision to remove his predecessor, Mxolisi Nxasana, from the post did not follow the rules.

News24 quoted Judge JW Louw as saying that the office of the NDPP was required to be independent and should be seen to be independent.

"The process directed by the president is a big improvement. The president has not given reasons why it should be closed to the public. The process should be open and transparent. It is of importance that confidence is restored in the office of the NDPP," News24 quoted him as saying.

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