January 31, 2005, 16:00
Tomorrow Vusi Pikoli, the new head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), will resume the daunting task of leading one of the country's major crime bursting unit. Pikoli takes over the Scorpions and NPA at a time when the organisation is experiencing the exodus of senior management personnel. This is sparking concern over the future of the elite crime busting unit.
The latest resignation from the unit is that of Jeff Ledwaba who served as deputy to Leonard McCarthy, the Scorpions' advocate. As head of operations Ledwaba has been responsible for approving all investigations by the unit.
The NPA has been hit by a string of resignations, including Rudolph Maastenbroek, the head of crime information and analysis, Bridget Mohlala, the head of finance, Rubin Richards, the head of Scorpions training, and Alta Terreblanche, the head of information and technology, among others. Today is also the last day of Sipho Ngwema, the public face of the NPA. He says the current trend of resignations does not signal doom for the institution.
Ngwema will be joining Bulelani Ngcuka, his former boss, as from tomorrow. He has said the rumour that the Scorpions will fall under the authority of the SAPS is mere speculation.
The new head of the NPA still has to spell out his vision for the organisation.
Meanwhile, the exodus of senior staff from the NPA is normal in a large organisation changing leadership says Anton du Plessis, the head of the crime and justice programme at the Institute for Security Studies.
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