Advocate Shamila Batohi, the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), has publicly rejected claims that her office is solely responsible for the significant delays in prosecuting the high-profile murder case of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa. During a session before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, Batohi firmly stated, “I will not accept the blame for the absolute disaster in the prosecution of the Meyiwa case.”
She explained that internal conflicts within the police investigations have severely hampered progress. Specifically, two separate police teams—one under the Minister of Police and another reporting directly to the National Commissioner—were investigating the same case independently and, according to Batohi, were “at loggerheads” with each other. She indicated that these teams may have even opened competing dockets, which has created a chaotic situation described as “a total mess.”
WATCH | “I will not sit here and accept the blame on the part of the prosecutors for the absolute disaster in the prosecution of the Senzo Meyiwa case,” says NPA Boss Adv. Shamila Batohi. She adds that there were two Police teams investigating the case and were at loggerheads… pic.twitter.com/3luiqKuwGm
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 11, 2025
To address these issues and ensure justice is served, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) took extraordinary steps. The case was moved from Johannesburg to Pretoria, and a new prosecutor was appointed to review the evidence and organize the dockets from scratch. Batohi emphasized that this move was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the prosecution process and to give the case the best chance of success.
Members of the committee expressed their frustration over the slow pace of proceedings, noting that the case has already cost millions of rand and remains unresolved more than ten years after Meyiwa’s murder in 2014. Legal Aid South Africa also highlighted the financial and emotional toll caused by these ongoing delays.
Batohi’s comments highlight a broader issue within South Africa’s justice system: internal institutional breakdowns can be just as damaging as external threats like organized crime. As the case moves forward, attention will now focus on whether the justice system can overcome these internal conflicts and finally deliver closure for Meyiwa’s family and the South African public.
