"The second annual Freedom Under Law and Stellenbosch University's Department of Journalism annual lecture took place in Cape Town on 11 November 2024. The lecture was delivered by the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Shamila Batohi, and was titled "Strengthening the Rule of Law: Challenges and Opportunities for the NPA."

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for the invitation to deliver this important lecture.

I am going to speak to you tonight about why the rule of law must be our collective priority, if SA is to survive this moment in our young democratic life, and hopefully thrive into the future. Sadly, global trends on the rule of law and justice don’t bode well. South Africa has in the past been a global inspiration on the rule of law; a trailblazing innovator in many areas, and a moral guiding light, especially under the guidance of Madiba. We need to take up this role again, especially considering the global context. But to do this, we need to get our own rule of law house in order. The NPA must be a leading actor in this regard.

We are living in a world that is inhabited by those who want the rule of law to succeed and, increasingly, those who do not. It is a world where, as recent elections attest to, candidates with criminal records can hold high political office, and where populist political leaders do not hesitate to attack institutions like the judiciary which seek to hold them accountable.

Against this context, we should cherish the fact that we have a President and Government of National Unity that are explicitly grounded on the respect for the rule of law. Against the constant threats that the rule of law endures, both globally and locally, we should neither underestimate nor take for granted the importance of this government commitment.

The Rule of Law is one of our ‘founding values’; our Constitution specifically provides that South Africa is founded on the “supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law”.

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