Justice Minister Ronald Lamola says the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is facing budgetary constraints and needs highly skilled individuals to help build watertight corruption cases.
Last year, Lamola revealed that steps were being put in place that would allow donations to the NPA, as the prosecuting authority needs R2 billion just to prosecute state capture cases.
In his response in writing to a parliamentary question from the DA, Lamola said the NPA was in the latter stages of approving an amended donor funding policy.
He said it was being aligned to the national treasury’s guidelines and regulations.
A centralised, internal register of all donations is being kept and the NPA will be expected to disclose these in its annual financial statements.
In a statement on Thursday, the EFF said it was “irrational and short-sighted” for Lamola to announce that the NPA would accept donor funding to solve the existing budgetary shortages.
“The (state capture) commission, which was a fruitless exercise in pursuit of factional vendettas, is today being used as a rationale to capture and compromise the NPA.
“The EFF rejects this decision as it surrenders a critical state institution to the hands of capital. It is a decision that will drastically compromise the NPA (and) its mandate, objectives and direction, turning it into a weapon in the hands of the rich. An institution such as the NPA must at all material times maintain its independence objectively and in terms of perceptions.”
The party said it would oppose the decision legislatively and explore all legal options to oppose it.