NPA gets nearly R30m from private donors while amendments to funding policy in 'final stages'

24th March 2023 By: News24Wire

 NPA gets nearly R30m from private donors while amendments to funding policy in 'final stages'

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola

While the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) amends its donor funding policy, it has already received close to R30-million in donations.

According to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, the NPA is in the final stages of approving an amended NPA donor funding policy that will be aligned with the National Treasury donor funding guidelines and regulations.

In response to a written parliamentary question, Lamola said the NPA had delegations from its accounting officer to accept donations in-kind below R2-million.

"Where a donation is in cash, the normal regime of channelling funds through the National Treasury will apply. The NPA has, to date, not received any cash donations," Lamola told Democratic Alliance MP Werner Horn, who posed the question.

Lamola said the in-kind donations received so far in the current financial year amounted to R28.8-million.

Furthermore, local donors, including non-profit organisations and businesses, provided R5.9-million. This was used for employee development and capacitation.

"This support came in the form of training and skills development, as well as workshops and conference attendance by NPA employees. Of this, approximately R4-million emanated from the law society and other local non-profits and individual businesses," Lamola said.

Donations were also received from local legal practitioners in the form of pro bono services and corporate support services to the value of R7.8-million.

Lamola added, "This support focused largely on accommodation for the co-location of the NPA-led Task Force on State Capture."

Local retail businesses gave R10.1-million toward gender-based violence programmes, which primarily went to Thuthuzela Care Centres.

The NPA signed a formal partnership agreement with Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) to the value of R2.9-million, to provide tailored support for the rebuilding project at the NPA.

"This in-kind support focused on specialised consultancy services, project management support and capacity development for NPA colleagues working on complex State capture matters. This partnership was mentioned by the president as a positive development in the government's formal response to the Zondo Commission findings," Lamola added.

According to him, various international bodies to which the NPA is affiliated donated R2-million for workshops and conferences. The donations were in respect of travel and accommodation, he added.