Details

This year the lecture will be delivered by Adv. Shamila Batohi, who currently serves as the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

Adv. Batohi started her public service career as a junior prosecutor in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court in Durban, after completing her studies at the University of Durban Westville and the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal). In 1995 she was seconded to the Investigation Task Unit established by the Honourable President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, to investigate atrocities committed in KZN by the apartheid government, including so-called “hit-squads” in the old Kwa-Zulu Police. In 2000 she was appointed as Regional Head of the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions) in KwaZulu-Natal and led evidence at the King Commission of Inquiry into Cricket Match Fixing. In 2002 she was appointed first female Provincial Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in South Africa. For much of the last decade, she served as a Senior Legal Advisor to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, heading up the Legal Advisory Section. In his statement announcing her appointment, President Cyril Ramaphosa said:

“The National Director of Public Prosecutions occupies a vital position in our democracy, and makes an essential contribution to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the efficiency and integrity of law enforcement. At this moment in our history, as we address matters that South Africans are most concerned about – such as state capture, corruption and widespread crime – our country needs a National Prosecuting Authority that is above reproach in the performance of its mandate and that enjoys the confidence of the public.”

Adv. Batohi will be in live conversation with Prof William Gumede (Associate Professor, School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand, Founder and Executive Chair of the Democracy Worx Foundation, author and columnist) and Ms Cynthia Stimpel (former Group Treasurer of South African Airways, motivational speaker on whistleblowing and author of Hijackers on Board).

This annual honorary lecture, with the financial support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, aims to create a platform for our student leaders, academics and broader international community to engage critically with current South African political and governance issues.

Please note that this will be a virtual event and the link will be sent to those who have confirmed their attendance on Monday, 11 April 2022. For further enquiries e-mail: fvzs@sun.ac.za

We look forward to welcoming you at this virtual event.