Advocate Khanyile ready to champion ubuntu if appointed NPA boss

SEXUAL offence cases, greylisting, organised crime such as money laundering and terrorist funding are issues topping the priority list of Advocate Xolisile Khanyile, former director of the Financial Intelligence Centre, if appointed the next National Director of Public Prosecutions.

She was the first candidate to take the seat Thursday as part of the selection for the next NDPP, chaired by Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi. 

Khanyile is a career prosecutor, having served in different roles in law enforcement agencies for 23 years. This includes being a senior official in the Asset Forfeiture Unit for five years, as well as a Director of Public Prosecutions for eight years - both in Johannesburg and in the Free State.

Professor Somadoda Fikeni, chairperson of the Public Service Commission, questioned Khanyile about how she would tackle the backlog of cases not prosecuted, some dating back from the Zondo Commission. 

He pointed out that the work of the Madlanga Commission would add to these. 

Khanyile responded that it would be critical for her to prioritise Commission cases to ensure that it moves with speed. “The Madlanga Commission shows that we have not cleaned enough after the Zondo Commission. There is more to do,” she said.

Adding to this, Khanyile said there was a lot of information from the Zondo Commission that was not structured. “It is critical to assemble a team to listen to the evidence heard in all the commissions and to analyse the information. We must then decide on what we will focus on. We don’t need to wait for Justice Madlanga to first report his findings. We can now start.” Khanyile said.

“This is so that Justice Madlanga does not sing the same song as Justice Zondo after five years, to say he has done all the work, but nothing has been done.”

If chosen as the new NPA head, she will also prioritise sexual offences cases, address greylisting, while organised crime such as money laundering and terrorist funding will also be high on her list. 

“I will also prioritise communicating with DPPs, as you cannot plan alone.”

She wants prosecutors to be trained and to love their jobs. “I will be happy to see that we have prosecutors who have Ubuntu… I want to see victims feeling safe and prosecutors who take pride in their work.”

Diversion and alternative dispute resolution for petty crimes are also high on her list. This is especially to alleviate the congestion of the court rolls in the lower courts and to give those with minor transgressions a second chance.

Khanyile said a lot of prosecutors asked her to come back to the profession. “For my country, I will do it,” she told the panel.

Cape Times