Advocate Nkebe Kanyane and advocate Livingstone Sakata. Pictures: Supplied
THE APPOINTMENTS of advocate Nkebe Kanyane as the new director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga and Livingstone Sakata as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) boss in the Northern Cape have been welcomed.
Nkayene and Sakata’s appointments come as the NPA had looked at shaking up its operations in the provinces.
NPA spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga said this was a crucial tier of the NPA’s top leadership structure needed to drive the strategy implementation and core performance of the NPA.
“This is the first time in more than 10 years that the NPA has the full leadership structure appointed on a permanent basis. With its complete new leadership team in place at the national and provincial levels, the NPA is now well-placed to continue driving the implementation of its current strategy and related efforts to rebuild the rule of law in South Africa," he said.
Sakata matriculated at Loyiso High School in Port Elizabeth and went on to obtain his B Proc Degree from the University Fort Hare.
He started his legal career as an attorney at Millers Incorporated in George, and went on to work for MM Beukes Attorneys in Queenstown.
Sakata later worked as a legal representative at the Heath Special Investigating Unit in East London from 1990 to 1999. He joined the NPA in 1999 as Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions with additional responsibilities as a provincial co-ordinator of the Organised Crime Component.
An attorney by profession, Sakata rose through the ranks in the NPA up to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP) until he was appointed acting director of Public Prosecution, Eastern Cape Division in February 2020.
Kanyane studied for a LLB degree at the University of the North and was admitted on the roll of advocates in 2001 and on the roll of attorneys in 2005.
A competent lawyer with 20 years of experience in the legal field as an attorney and investigator, Nkanyane also has extensive experience as a prosecutor, having spent 10 years at the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) and rose through the ranks from State Advocate to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
She is currently employed by Nedbank, as Specialist Investigator in Group Financial Crime, Forensics and Security (GFCFS), with responsibilities including conducting forensic investigations, internal fraud, corruption and reputational risk investigations and compiling investigation reports.
She represented the NPA in managing corruption in the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster and played a role in stakeholder management within the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions. She was also responsible for the training of advocates, prosecutors, and investigators in respect of prosecution of complex commercial crime and providing legal advice to the head of the SCCU.
Kanyane also worked for the Public Protector as chief investigator from May 2013 to 2017.
– Political Bureau