Deputy Minister Andries Nel: Graduation ceremony for 2025 intake of Aspirant Prosecutors of the National Prosecuting Authority

Congratulatory Remarks by Hon Andries Nel, MP, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development at the Graduation Ceremony for the 2025 intake of Aspirant Prosecutors of the National Prosecuting Authority – held on 26 February 2026 at the Victoria Mxenge Building

Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi,
Adv Andy Mothibi, National Director of Public Prosecutions,
Leadership and members of the National Prosecuting Authority,
The graduates of the 2023 Aspirant Prosecutors Programme, compatriots.

I kindly request you to rise and join me in reciting the Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa:

“We, the people of South Africa,
Recognise the injustices of our past;
Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land;
Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and
Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to –
• Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
• Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
• Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
• Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
May God protect our people.
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso.
God seën Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa.
Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika.”

Section 179 of the Constitution provides that:
“There is a single national prosecuting authority in the Republic” and that “the prosecuting authority exercises its functions without fear, favour or prejudice.”
Flowing from this constitutional mandate, the NPA, as the lawyers for the people, must:

• Deliver and serve justice, without fear or favour
• Promote a culture of public responsibility, accountability, and morality
• Ensure public confidence in the criminal justice system
• Contribute to growth of the South African economy
• Contribute to social development

The NPA Code of Conduct says that Prosecutors must-
(a) be individuals of integrity whose conduct is objective, honest and sincere;
(b) respect, protect and uphold justice, human dignity and fundamental rights as entrenched in the Constitution;
(c) protect the public interest;
(d) strive to be and to be seen to be consistent, independent and impartial;
(e) conduct themselves professionally, with courtesy and respect to all and in accordance with the law and the recognised standards and ethics of their profession;
(f) strive to be well-informed and to keep abreast of relevant legal developments; and
(g) at all times maintain the honour and dignity of their profession and dress and act in a manner befitting their status and upholding the decorum of the court.

In the State of the National Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that:
“Organised Crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development.”

At the funeral of the late Adv Rodney de Kock, I recalled that when the ancient Roman Republic was under threat, the Senate would take a decision known as the Senatus Consultum Ultimum which read:
“Consules videant nequid respublica detrimenti capiat” or “Consuls, see to it that the Republic befalls no harm.”

I paid tribute to the many members of the National Prosecuting Authority who continue to stand firm in defence of our Republic, its Constitution, its laws and its people against crime, corruption and state capture – often at great cost to them, their careers, and their families.

You have taken the first steps to join their ranks. In doing so, you have opened a new chapter in your lives and your professions.
We are aware that these steps have not been easy.

Many of you have had to overcome serious challenges to complete school, gain admission to university, and to complete your studies.
Gaining entry into this Aspirant Prosecutors Programme through rigorous exams and interviews was also not easy.

Staying the course through another year of training to be a public prosecutor, a lawyer for the people, also required hard work, discipline, and dedication.
That fact that you have come this far bears testimony to your character, your perseverance, and your commitment to serving our country and its people.
As prosecutors, you are legal professionals.
However, you are also much more.

You are our modern-day Consuls, defenders of our Republic, guardians of justice and the rule of law, lawyers of the people.

We are confident that you will live up to your Oath of Office which states that:
"I do hereby swear/solemnly affirm that I will uphold and protect the Constitution and the fundamental rights entrenched therein and enforce the Law of the Republic without fear, favour or prejudice and, as the circumstances of any particular case may require, in accordance with the Constitution and the Law.”

It is my privilege and great honour to introduce Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi.
Minister Kubayi exemplifies the quality of leadership that our country needs in an ethical and capable developmental state.

She is a Young Lion of our democracy. In 1994 she was not old enough to vote.

After 1994, however, she has served in no less than seven ministerial portfolios —from Energy, Tourism, and Human Settlements, to Science and Technology.

She is someone whose wisdom, integrity and leadership are widely respected – as a colleague, as a comrade and as a source of inspiration in our shared journey towards building a better life for all.

Please join me in welcoming Minister Kubayi to the podium.

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