This follows growing criticism of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for repeatedly failing to secure convictions in high-profile corruption cases, particularly those involving political elites. In some instances, judges have rebuked the NPA for poor preparation, lack of evidence, or misleading the courts.

DA Member of Parliament and former prosecutor Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach said the NPA’s underwhelming performance was partly due to a lack of financial and technical resources.

“It’s not cheap to prosecute those cases. You need access to seriously qualified cyber forensic experts, and they don’t come cheap. You need forensic audits done, and those can run anywhere between 10 and 50 million rand per case,” Breytenbach explained.

She said the inability to fund such complex prosecutions has led to procedural blunders and failed court cases, adding that proper consultation with subject-matter experts is essential for success.

“These cases can’t be considered dead in the water and forgotten about. South Africans want to see accountability and people who stole taxpayers’ money in orange uniforms,” she said.

--SABC/ChannelAfrica--