WeeklySA_AdminJUSTICE: Inquiry clears suspended Gauteng prosecutor Andrew Chauke and revives the long-running controversy over alleged extrajudicial killings by the now-disbanded police squad…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
The Nkabinde Panel of Inquiry has recommended that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) charge former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Johan Booysen and members of the now-disbanded Cato Manor serious and violent crimes unit with racketeering.
The recommendation is contained in the panel’s report on the fitness to hold office of Gauteng South Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised for public release.
The panel said the NPA should “discharge its constitutional mandate expeditiously” and prosecute Booysen and members of the unit to ensure that justice was done — and seen to be done — for the alleged victims and their families.
It found that evidence existed to support racketeering charges under section 2(4) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act against Booysen and members of the police squad.
The recommendation revives a long-running and fiercely contested case involving allegations of bribery, racketeering and extrajudicial killings.
Former national director of public prosecutions Shamila Batohi previously withdrew the racketeering charges against Booysen and his colleagues after a panel of prosecutors appointed to review the case concluded that it lacked merit.
The charges were initially instituted by former deputy national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba in 2012 and reinstated by former prosecutions boss Shaun Abrahams in 2016.
Booysen has consistently maintained that the case was politically motivated. He successfully challenged several proceedings related to his arrest and told the State Capture Commission in 2019 that he had been targeted after refusing to halt investigations into politically connected figures.
He was effectively sidelined before taking early retirement in 2017.
The Nkabinde panel, chaired by retired Constitutional Court justice Baaitse Elizabeth Nkabinde, was established to determine whether Chauke was fit to remain a director of public prosecutions.
It found “no credible evidence” that Chauke had improperly taken prosecutorial decisions in the Cato Manor case or acted unlawfully while performing his coordination duties.
The panel also concluded that Chauke’s decision to provisionally withdraw murder and related charges against former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli and refer the matter to an inquest was “not irrational”. Chauke has been suspended since 20 July 2025. Ramaphosa formally established the inquiry in September under section 12(6)(a) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act.
Chauke maintained throughout the proceedings that he had acted lawfully and that many of the disputed decisions were taken collectively or under the authority of successive national directors of public prosecutions.
The inquiry encountered several setbacks, including delays involving witnesses and Batohi’s unexpected walkout in December 2025 after more than a week of testimony.
Batohi formally withdrew from the proceedings in April, describing them as “hostile, accusatory and discouraging”. The inquiry, initially expected to conclude in January, was subsequently granted an extension until 30 June.
The Presidency said Ramaphosa had informed Chauke that, based on the panel’s findings, there was no basis to conclude that he was unfit to hold office.
The report’s release clears Chauke but places renewed pressure on the NPA to explain whether it will act on the panel’s call to prosecute Booysen and members of the controversial Cato Manor unit. – Fullview
MIRROR Briefs
Migration: Ghana rejects MTN donation
Ghana has declined MTN’s offer of GH¢20 million — approximately R28.8 million — to support Ghanaian citizens affected by recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, r Ghanaian news outlet Premium Times has reported.
According to Premium Times, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday, saying the government had already made adequate financial provision for the evacuation and reintegration of affected citizens. “The Government of Ghana commends MTN for the offer; however, we respectfully decline,” the ministry said.
It added that the government’s position had been conveyed directly to MTN’s board chair and chief executive when they met Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on August 14. Ghana has evacuated more than 1,500 citizens since the latest wave of xenophobic violence erupted in South Africa in April.
A first group of 300 people returned home in May, followed by about 1,000 in June. Authorities subsequently announced plans to repatriate another 900 citizens.
“The Government of Ghana remains fully committed to current humanitarian evacuations and reintegration financial support for every Ghanaian brought back from harm’s way,” the ministry said.
It promised to publish a comprehensive account of the evacuation costs once the exercise had been completed.
MTN, which was founded in South Africa, is Africa’s largest mobile network operator and has a significant presence in Ghana, Nigeria and several other markets across the continent.
Despite rejecting the donation, the Ghanaian government stressed that international companies remained welcome in the country.
“The government will continue to create the best business ecosystem for all international brands operating in Ghana to succeed, irrespective of which country their businesses originated from,” it said.
Illegal migration tensions have strained relations between South Africa and several African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, prompting governments to evacuate their citizens.
Nigeria received another 67 evacuees on Wednesday as part of its continuing repatriation operation. In July, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declined to meet a special delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa, directing it instead to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye. – Premium Times
SA lodges Gaza dossier to ICJ
South Africa submitted a substantial dossier to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on August 25, 2026, detailing Israel’s failure to follow the court’s Provisional Measures Orders (PMO) regarding Gaza.
South Africa filed the genocide case against Israel at the tribunal based in The Hague in late 2023, saying Israel, which has bombed Gaza since last October, of failing to uphold its commitments under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Several countries, including Türkiye, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya, and Colombia, have joined the case.
The top court in May ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It was the third time the 15-judge panel issued preliminary orders seeking to rein in the death toll and alleviate humanitarian suffering in the blockaded enclave, where the casualty count has crossed 44 000.
The dossier was submitted on August 25, to help an ICJ committee assess Israel’s compliance with the legally binding provisional measures.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says Israel has failed to comply with the orders and continues to pursue all available legal avenues.
As of August 2026, at least 73 407 Palestinians have been killed and 174 335 injured in Gaza since 7 October 2023: over 10% of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
A total of 46 000 of the surviving Palestinians in Gaza, including children, are estimated to live with severe conflict-related injuries, including amputations, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. – Lehlohonolo Lehana/Fullview
Cabinet condemns political killings
Cabinet has condemned the rise in political killings ahead of the 4 November local government elections, following 23 incidents that claimed 26 lives across five provinces in 2026.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet welcomed law enforcement’s swift response in tracking down those responsible. She urged South Africans to uphold political tolerance and reject intimidation, violence and conduct that could undermine the integrity of the elections.
Ntshavheni said security plans had been developed, while coordination mechanisms across all three spheres of government were in place to support free, fair, credible and peaceful polls.
Cabinet also reviewed the Municipal Performance Turnaround Strategy, which has been expanded from 10 to 38 distressed municipalities. The programme focuses on financial viability, governance, service delivery, audit outcomes and institutional capacity.
Meanwhile, the Water Partnership Office has helped eThekwini Municipality secure R379 million over six years to reduce water losses and is supporting similar work in Tshwane.
Thirty-four municipalities have completed climate-risk assessments under the Water Re-Use Programme, while US$235 million (R3.8bn) has been secured from the Green Climate Fund for water reuse projects. The office is also developing a sanitation bond and fund to support non-sewered sanitation technologies in informal settlements and schools. Lehlohonolo Lehana/Fullview
