Northern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Kimberley Livingstone Mzukisi Sakata is expected to be appointed as the new acting South Gauteng DPP following the suspension of Adv Andrew Chauke.
This was revealed on Friday during the fraud case against South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan and his three co-accused at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended Chauke with immediate effect on July 21 2025. This is pending an inquiry into Chauke’s fitness to hold office.
Sakata appointed in 2022
According to a media statement released by the presidency’s office in March 2022, Ramaphosa appointed Sakata as Director of Public Prosecutions: Northern Cape Division of the High Court, Kimberley, with effect from April 1 2022.
Sakata is an attorney with private and public sector experience. He has a B Proc degree from the University of Fort Hare, according to the statement.
Sakata has served since February 2020 as Acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Eastern Cape.
The Presidency said he became a senior deputy DPP in 1999. He was appointed in 2003 as Eastern Cape coordinator of the organised crime component in the Office of the DPP.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Safa chief financial officer Gronnie Hluyo, 55, businessman Trevor Neethling, 46, Jordaan, 73, and Neethling’s company Grit Communications, appeared on three counts of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
Their charges stem from allegations of R1.3-million fraud of Safa’s financial resources between 2014 and 2018. All accused are out on R20, 000 bail.
Neethling and Grit Communications’ lawyer, attorney James Ndebele, said his clients have not received outcomes of their withdrawal of charges representations from the South Gauteng DPP’s office.
Chauke suspension stalled Safa case
State prosecutor Adv Moagi Malebati said the outcomes of Neethling and Grit Communications’ representations were not made because Chauke was suspended in July before making a decision on the representations.
Malebati said on Thursday the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) Adv Shamila Batohi held a meeting where Malebati was present. Batohi said Sakata from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Northern Cape will be appointed as the new acting South Gauteng DPP from September 1 2025.
Malebati said Sakata will deal with Neethling and Grit Communications’ representations for withdrawal of charges.
Magistrate Soko-Rantao said when Sakata assumes office as the new acting South Gauteng DPP, he should prioritise the representations of all the four accused. They are Hluyo, Neethling, Jordaan and Grit Communications.
Soko-Rantao postponed the matter to September 12 for outcomes of the representations of withdrawal of charges by all four accused.
