Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has praised the late Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (DNDPP), Advocate Rodney De Kock, as a person of “high ethical standards and integrity”.
Speaking at the official memorial service for De Kock, who passed away last week, following a brief battle with cancer, Kubayi highlighted the significant loss to the country.
“Advocate De Kock’s untimely death has come at a time when his country needed him the most. It is has become difficult to find men and women of Advocate De Kock's calibre in the public service.
“I am speaking about men and women of high ethical standards and integrity, who are willing to take the road less travelled,” she said.
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The Minister commended De Kock’s unwavering commitment “in defence of our democracy” during the years when State capture plagued the country.
“Not so long ago, because of State capture, our young democracy was characterised by turbulence that almost destroyed critical institutions, especially the criminal justice system. The rot that seeped into the fabric of our country would not have been possible without the weakening of the institutions in the criminal justice system.
“A concerted effort was put into ensuring critical institutions in the criminal justice, [including the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)], became dysfunctional. Although the system was weakened, there were men and women who stood firm and never allowed themselves to cower under the weight of widespread wrongdoing, and Advocate De Kock was one of those individuals.
“Because of him and others like him, the system was weakened but it was never broken and was never destroyed, hence today we can talk about rebuilding the institutions,” Kubayi said.
She insisted that the “the work of building a fair and effective” NPA must continue uninterrupted in honour of De Kock.
“A lot of work has already been done to restore confidence in the work of the NPA and on the institution itself.
“There is more work that lies ahead. It is not easy to rebuild an institution whose proper functioning threatens to disrupt the lives of those who are rich and powerful. It requires men and women who are willing to stand for what is right in the face of the most unrelenting attacks,” she said.
Kubayi called on all officials serving in the NPA to double efforts to rebuild confidence in the NPA.
“The Freedom Charter, which inspired the drafting of our Constitution, envisioned a society in which all shall be equal before the law.
“It is this vision that inspired Rodney’s work as legal practitioner, and it is the vision that must continue to inspire our efforts of rebuilding the integrity and confidence of the NPA and by extension, the criminal justice system,” she said.
The Minister once again expressed condolences to the De Kock family for their loss.
“We thank the De Kock family for giving us their beloved father, son and brother to serve our country, a task in which he acquitted himself with distinction. His legacy will continue to serve as an inspiration to all of us.
“Let me again express my deepest condolences for the loss you have suffered as a family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” Kubayi said. – SAnews.gov.za
