The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has announced its intention to lay perjury charges against Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson and former National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi. The decision, unveiled during a sitting of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Thursday, follows revelations that emerged during Johnson’s ongoing testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The MK Party’s move comes after Johnson reportedly conceded under oath before the Madlanga Commission that she had misled the Ad Hoc Committee during her testimony last year. The committee had been investigating allegations of criminal infiltration within the justice system. According to African National Congress MP Xola Nqola, Johnson admitted that her previous statements to the committee were inaccurate, a development that has now triggered calls for perjury proceedings.
The charges against Batohi relate to a separate undertaking she made before the same Ad Hoc Committee. Members of the committee have accused Batohi and Johnson of perjury for promising to provide details regarding a Section 27 warrant issued against members of Crime Intelligence—documents they ultimately never submitted. The MK Party’s David Skosana confirmed that the party would pursue criminal complaints against both officials. Earlier this year, the MK Party had already launched an urgent court bid to block Batohi’s pension payout, citing allegations of misconduct and dereliction of duty during her tenure. With Johnson still testifying at the Madlanga Commission and Batohi having retired in January, the looming perjury case adds yet another layer of legal and political pressure on the country’s top prosecuting authorities.
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