By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of section 12(8)(a) of the National Prosecuting Authority Act of 1998 accepted the request by the Investigating Director of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head, to vacate office with immediate effect.
Andrea Johnson asked to be allowed to vacate her office within 24 hours, saying the move would “serve the institutions and the country best”.
Ramaphosa thanked Johnson for her “years of service in the NPA and as the head of IDAC. The President assures the leadership and staff of the NPA of government’s unwavering support for its work in the fight against crime and corruption”.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said, Ramaphosa’s decision followed a recommendation by minister of Justice Mamoloko Kubayi, supported by NDPP boss Andy Mothibi, that Johnson’s request be granted.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa thanked Johnson for her years of service in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and as head of IDAC.
“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.”
Johnson is due to continue her testimony to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday, 27 July 2026.
Over three days of evidence, commissioners repeatedly questioned her over allegations that she gave the suspended deputy head of Crime Intelligence, Major General Feroz Khan, access to an assault and intimidation docket before he submitted his warning statement.
She invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination when questioned about allegations that she emailed Khan details from the investigation docket, arguing that the commission’s fact-finding powers did not override that protection.
She acknowledged that the NPA was considering whether she should face prosecution in relation to the Khan allegations.
Johnson also testified that although she had known Khan personally, she deliberately limited contact with him during 2024 after media reports linked him to the murders of insolvency liquidators Cloete and Thomas Murray.
Meanwhile Ramaphosa said government will intervene where municipalities fail to provide reliable water services, with the National Water Action Plan introducing reforms aimed at improving municipal accountability, financing and water delivery.
In his weekly newsletter to the nation, Ramaphosa said the action plan was aimed at ensuring every community had access to a reliable supply of quality drinking water, regardless of where they lived, through immediate interventions and long-term reforms to address persistent water supply failures.
While acknowledging that South Africa is a water-scarce country, Ramaphosa said the immediate crisis was not primarily caused by a lack of rainfall or dams but by poor management, maintenance and financing of municipal water systems.