President Cyril Ramaphosa has accepted the resignation of Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson, allowing her to leave office with immediate effect.
The presidency announced on Monday that Ramaphosa, acting in terms of Section 12(8)(a) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act, approved Johnson’s request to vacate her position without serving the remainder of her notice period.
The decision followed a recommendation by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, supported by National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andy Mothibi, that Johnson’s request be granted.
Johnson had directed her request for immediate release from office to both Mothibi and the president.
In a statement, the presidency said Ramaphosa thanked Johnson for her years of service in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and for her leadership of IDAC, the anti-corruption unit established to investigate and prosecute complex corruption-related offences.
Ramaphosa assures staff of his support
“The president assures the leadership and staff of the NPA of the government’s unwavering support for its work in the fight against crime and corruption,” the statement read.
Johnson’s departure comes after she formally requested to be released from her duties with immediate effect, bringing her tenure at the helm of the specialised anti-corruption directorate to an end.
No further details were provided on an interim leadership arrangement for IDAC.
Johnson exits after an embarrassing testimony at the Madlanga commission, where she publicly apologised before the inquiry on Thursday after conceding that she wrongly described Crime Intelligence Brigadier Dineo Mokwele’s appointment as a “token appointment” despite never having seen her curriculum vitae or job application.
The apology came after Commissioner Adv Sandile Khumalo painstakingly dismantled one of the central factual pillars underpinning Idac’s case against Mokwele, confronting Johnson with the official job advertisement and her prosecution documents.
Mokwele was arrested on June 26 2025 alongside crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo and several other senior police officers.
She faces fraud and corruption charges arising from allegations that her appointment as head of SAPS technical support services was irregular and formed part of a broader scheme within crime intelligence.
Earlier on Thursday, Johnson acknowledged before the Madlanga commission that parts of her evidence to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee were incorrect.
Johnson also admitted she had wrongly told MPs that member of parliament Fadiel Adams had not first approached then-police minister Senzo Mchunu before Idac became involved, despite documentary evidence showing Mchunu’s office had written to Idac requesting an investigation.
Adams’ Section 27 affidavit
Johnson also conceded she incorrectly told Parliament that Adams’ Section 27 affidavit reached her desk in mid-December 2024, when records showed it had in fact been received on November 21 2024. She attributed both inaccuracies to failures of memory rather than an intention to deceive.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has accepted the immediate resignation of IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson, waiving her remaining notice period.
- The decision followed recommendations from Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and NDPP Advocate Andy Mothibi.
- Johnson’s resignation comes after her criticized testimony at the Madlanga commission, where she apologized for inaccurate statements regarding Crime Intelligence Brigadier Dineo Mokwele’s appointment.
- Johnson admitted to giving incorrect evidence to Parliament about the involvement of MP Fadiel Adams and the timing of an affidavit submission, attributing errors to memory lapses.
- No details were provided on who will lead IDAC temporarily following Johnson’s departure.
