Mtwana confirmed as Eastern Cape prosecutions chief after four months acting

Advocate Samkelo Callaway Mtwana is the new Director of Public Prosecutions for the Eastern Cape Division, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa with effect from the date of the Gazette, 3 August 2026. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development announced the appointment on 7 August 2026.

The appointment was made under the National Prosecuting Authority Act, 1998 (Act No. 32 of 1998), after the President consulted Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi and National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi.

Mtwana has run the division since 22 April 2026, when he took over as Acting Director of Public Prosecutions following the retirement of Advocate Barry Madolo. The permanent post is now filled.

A prosecutor’s record

Mtwana is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He holds a B Juris and an LLB from the University of Transkei, an LLM in Tax Law from the University of South Africa, and a Certificate in Forensic and Investigative Auditing.

Since August 2024 he has served as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit, where he oversaw complex commercial crime prosecutions and led matters before the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court.

Before that he was a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption from April 2023 to July 2024, managing complex corruption and organised crime matters and leading multidisciplinary prosecution teams. He served as a Senior State Advocate in the same directorate from November 2021 to March 2023.

Between December 2012 and October 2021 he was Principal Legal Advisor for litigation and administrative law at Transnet SOC Ltd, before rejoining the National Prosecuting Authority.

“This appointment will build confidence in the prosecutions authority and send a message that the pursuit of justice shall be relentlessly executed.”

That was Minister Kubayi’s response to the appointment. She congratulated Mtwana and expressed confidence in his ability to advance the constitutional mandate of the National Prosecuting Authority, strengthen the administration of justice, and serve the people of South Africa with integrity and distinction.

What the division carries

The Eastern Cape division covers prosecutions from the metropolitan courts through to the former homeland areas, and its specialised units handle commercial crime and corruption matters that run for years and cross provincial lines. The head of the division sets prosecution policy for the region and decides which matters proceed to the High Court.

Mtwana’s four months in the acting role mean the office has been under his direction through the current court term. The appointment removes the interim status from that arrangement.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development issued the statement. Media enquiries are directed to Ms Palesa Rammitlwa, spokesperson to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, on 064 933 3628. The full statement is published