South Africa: President Ramaphosa Releases Report Clearing Adv Chauke

What the report says

President Cyril Ramaphosa has made public the report of the Nkabinde Panel of Enquiry, which examined whether Gauteng South Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Andrew Chauke was fit to remain in office. The announcement, published by SAnews.gov.za and distributed through AllAfrica, says the President informed Chauke before the report’s release that the panel had cleared him.

According to the report, the inquiry was established on 29 September 2025 under the National Prosecuting Authority Act. Ramaphosa had suspended Chauke from 20 July 2025 while the matter was being investigated. The panel was chaired by Justice Baaitse Elizabeth Nkabinde.

The findings released to the public state that there was no credible evidence to support allegations that Chauke made improper prosecutorial decisions in the Cato Manor matter. It also found no credible evidence that he acted unlawfully in carrying out his coordination duties. Based on those conclusions, the Presidency said Ramaphosa was satisfied there was no basis to treat Chauke as unfit for the role.

The publication of the report is significant because it closes a high-profile fitness-for-office inquiry involving a senior prosecuting official in Gauteng and sets out the reasoning behind the President’s decision. More broadly, such inquiries can affect confidence in prosecutorial leadership and the handling of sensitive legal cases.