The Mpumalanga division of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has identified sexual offences, commercial crimes and corruption as three crime focus areas for the courts, while murder, particularly intimate femicide, is a focus area specifically for the higher courts.

The Mpumalanga Director of Prosecutions Advocate Nkebe Kanyane said that the division is giving priority focus to those areas to send a strong message that the criminal justice system is there to serve justice for women and vulnerable groups.

She addressed a media briefing in Mbombela, in Mpumalanga, where she updated strategic stakeholders and the community on the NPA’s strategy and overall performance, especially in dealing with priority crimes in the Mpumalanga division.

Kanyane applauded the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit team for carrying out investigations and arrests despite the limitations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and while battling a shortage of human and capital resources.

“The Division was able to achieve many of its performance indicators despite the threatening atmosphere faced by the prosecutors due to the severity of Covid-19 and a high number of positive cases and deaths as was reported in the media space. In High Courts, regional courts and district courts targets were achieved. The load-shedding by Eskom did not help when courts were in session. In places where there were no back-up generators, the courts were adjourned on many occasions, and this resulted in many cases being postponed,” she explained.

To enhance the work already achieved by the Mpumalanga NPA, the aspirant prosecutor programme has also been revived in the division with the hope that it will expedite the filling of vacant posts in the lower courts.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank my team in the Division, strategic stakeholders in the criminal justice cluster and residents of Mpumalanga for their continued support. Together we will always strive to ensure that we deliver justice without fear, favour and prejudice,” she said.