With the removal of Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa, a parliamentary inquiry underway into state capture, and arrests of some of those allegedly responsible for it, signs are that justice and accountability may at last be restored. The task of doing so falls squarely on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), an institution which has itself been compromised under the Zuma presidency.
But while public attention has focused on NPA head Shaun Abrahams' decisions to charge Zuma's nemesis former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, an arguably bigger problem faces the organisation. In the last few years, budget cuts have depleted the capacity of the NPA, with dire consequences for its performance.
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