President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Advocate Andy Mothibi as the new head of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).
Mothibi is the current Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and was not part of the interviewed candidates who were interviewed for the position last month by a panel set up by the president.
His appointment comes after the panel, which was chaired by the of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, interviewed six candidates for interviews out of 32 applicants included
“The panel concluded its process and submitted its report to the President on the 12th of December 2025.
In its report, the panel advised the President that none of the interviewed candidates were suitable for the role of NDPP.
Accordingly, President Ramaphosa has in terms of section 179(1) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, read with section 10 of the NPA Act, 1998 (Act 32 of 1998), decided to appoint Advocate Jan Lekgoa Mothibi, with effect from 1 February 2026, as the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP),” said the presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
Mothibi began his career as a Public Prosecutor in the Johannesburg and Soweto Magistrates and Regional Courts.
He also served as a Magistrate in the Johannesburg and Soweto Magistrates Courts.
“Adv. Mothibi has previously served in various public and private sector roles managing legal, compliance and risk management operations, including at SARS as Head of Corporate Legal Services and Head of Governance,” explained Magwenya.
In addition, Ramaphosa has thanked Advocate Shamila Batohi for her service and contribution to the country’s prosecutions agency and wished her well in her future endeavours.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa appointed Leonard Lekgetho as the Acting Head of the SIU to act on Mothibi’s place.
Lekgetho is currently serving as the Chief Operations Officer of the SIU, has over 22 years of forensic investigations experience, including serving as the Forensic Investigator at the then Directorate of Special Operations, known as the Scorpions.
