Current affairs
Current affairs The SCA dismissed the NPA’s application for leave to appeal.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dealt with obstacles in 2 prominent corruption matters on Monday, 5 October 2026, with the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) closing down an effort to challenge the separation of 2 implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank case, while district attorneys provisionally withdrew charges versus previous acting nationwide cops commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and his co-accused.
SCA closes door on VBS obstacle
The SCA dismissed the NPA’s application for leave to appeal versus a choice enabling previous ANC Limpopo treasurer Danny Msiza and previous ANC Youth League Limpopo chairperson Kabelo Matsepe to have their trials separated from those of their co-accused in the VBS trial.
Msiza and Matsepe are amongst 13 individuals dealing with charges of scams, corruption, theft and cash laundering occurring from the collapse of VBS Mutual Bank and the supposed robbery of practically R2.3 billion from the organization.
The case is being heard in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria and has actually been before the courts for numerous years.
Msiza and Matsepe, who were apprehended in 2020, argued that the extended hold-ups in bringing the matter to finality necessitated the separation of their trials.
They count on Section 157( 2) of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) in looking for to have their cases heard independently.
The prosecution opposed the separation and looked for to challenge the choice through the DPP.
Appeal discovered to have no sensible potential customers
The NPA initially approached the high court in an effort to have concerns of law scheduled for factor to consider by the SCA under Section 319 of the CPA.
That application was declined in January 2025
The DPP consequently took the matter to the SCA, with the appeal being heard in May 2025.
In dismissing the application on Monday, the SCA discovered that the application stopped working to satisfy the limit needed for the appointment of a concern of law.
The court likewise discovered that there was no affordable possibility that an appeal would be successful if it were permitted to continue.
The judgment even more explained that Msiza and Matsepe had not depend on Section 342A of the CPA, which offers a questions into unreasonable hold-ups in criminal procedures.
Rather, the implicated had actually pursued the separation of their trials.
“We conclude that the application for leave to appeal need to be dismissed.
“First, since the DPP has actually stopped working to please the jurisdictional requirement required for this court to think about an appeal versus the rejection to reserve concerns of law in regards to area 319.
“In addition, and in any occasion, there are no affordable potential customers that, were an interest be captivated, it would be maintained.
“There is no benefit in any of the concerns of law looked for to be booked by the DPP,” the judgment checks out.
Phahlane corruption case withdrawn
In a different advancement, the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), a system within the NPA, verified that charges versus Phahlane and numerous other implicated had actually been provisionally withdrawn in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court.
The case originates from a 2016 Saps agreement including the supply of emergency situation caution devices.
The agreement was valued at simply over R191 million, with R65 million paid to Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, the business that was granted the agreement.
The examination likewise avoided an additional R22 million payment from being made, according to Idac.
Phahlane and his co-accused had actually been charged with corruption, scams, theft and cash laundering in connection with the agreement.
State thinks about next actions
The choice to withdraw the case follows numerous hold-ups in the procedures.
The implicated had actually formerly looked for to have the matter struck off the roll, however their application was dismissed by the court.
Idac acting head Ntuthuzelo Vanara consequently chose to provisionally withdraw the matter after thinking about the situations surrounding the case.
The directorate’s representative Henry Mamothame stated Vanara would now analyze specific elements of the matter before district attorneys look for to re-enrol it.
The case was likewise evaluated by a panel developed by National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Andy Mothibi in July.
According to Mamothame, the panel discovered that the case had actually been effectively authorised which it fell within Idac’s required.
Senior authorities amongst implicated
Phahlane is not the only previous senior authorities main dealing with charges in the matter.
His co-accused consist of previous deputy nationwide commissioner for personnels management Bonang Mgwenya, previous Gauteng authorities commissioner Deliwe de Lange, Gauteng deputy authorities commissioner Nombhuruza Lettie Napo, retired divisional commissioner Ramahlapi Johannes Mokwena and retired major-general Ravichandran Pillay.
Charged are Colonel Thomas Dumas Marima and Sergeant Maetapese Joseph Mulaiwa.
Organization figures Judy Rose, Samantha Andrews and Vimpie Manthata, the owner of Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, are likewise amongst the implicated.
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