The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is the Central Authority for Mutual Legal Assistance as well as the Office of Prosecution in South Africa.
Section 179 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996) created a single National Prosecution Authority (NPA). This was followed by the National Prosecuting Act, 1998 (Act No. 32 of 1998), and in August 1998, the first National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), who is the head of the NPA and the prosecutors, was appointed.
Its role in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) is that of a prosecuting authority and it co-ordinates activities with other component parts of the CJS. There was a thorough re-examination of how it carries out its mandate in 2005, which highlighted a number of areas where improvements could be made. As a result a number of initiatives have been put into action of which the key initiative is to increase the number of experienced prosecutors within the NPA in order to meet increased demands. The NPA is therefore the prosecuting authority for corruption cases.
In 1999, two asset recovery units, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), were established in the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions of the National Prosecuting Authority. The NPA structure further includes the National Prosecution Service (NPS) and the Witness-Protection Programme (WPP) as well as specialised units such as the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU), the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit, the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit and the Integrity Management Unit.
