Shrien Dewani prosecutor Adrian Mopp appointed Western Cape NPA head
President Cyril Ramaphosa has designated veteran advocate Adrian Mopp as director of public prosecutions in the Western Cape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Advocate Adrian Mopp as the new director of public prosecutions (DPP) for the Western Cape.
A Presidency statement on Tuesday said Mopp’s appointment as head of the National Prosecuting Authority in the province took effect on 10 September 2026, “following consultation with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, and the National DPP, Advocate Andy Mothibi”.
Mopp steps into the office vacated by Advocate Nicolette Bell, after he previously served as deputy DPP in the Western Cape. Bell was appointed deputy national DPP in May 2026 by Ramaphosa.
Adrian Mopp’s career forged in high-stakes legal battles
Mopp, who started working as a prosecutor 33 years ago, boasts a record across organised crime, financial asset forfeiture, and complex anti-corruption investigations.
“He holds advanced qualifications in law, criminal justice, criminology and international studies, including a Master of Philosophy in Law and a Master of Laws in Criminal Justice and Criminology,” the Presidency said.
As the former Western Cape head of the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions), he directed preliminary evaluations into major tender-rigging allegations involving parliamentary security contracts before the unit’s dissolution.
His standing saw him shortlisted in 2025 as one of six candidates vying for the national DPP post to succeed Shamila Batohi.
During his candidatee interviews before the advisory panel, Mopp underscored that prosecutorial decisions must strictly be “underpinned by two things – the law and the facts”, while voicing deep concerns over national threats and institutional independence.
The Shrien Dewani trial and legal legacy
Mopp’s most prominent public role came in 2014 when he led the state’s high-profile prosecution of British businessman Shrien Dewani, who was accused of orchestrating the 2010 honeymoon murder of his wife Anni Dewani in Gugulethu, Cape Town.
Facing fierce scrutiny in the Western Cape High Court, Mopp famously described the hired accomplices as “amateurish” individuals lured by financial desperation, arguing they were “not the A-team of contract killers”.
Although then-deputy judge president Jeanette Traverso granted a Section 174 discharge acquitting Dewani due to witness inconsistencies, Mopp reportedly defended the decision to charge, telling the NDPP panel that prosecutors were not wrong to prosecute based on the facts and law.