IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

She's headstrong and determined and she has the gift of the gab - all qualities that will stand her in good stead to investigate state capture in SA. Meet Advocate Andrea Johnson

- LESEGO SEOKWANG

THE little girl peered through a window of the courthouse in rural Umzinto, KwaZulu-Natal, entranced by the serious-looking men in black gowns going about very serious-looking business. And that was it. Six-year-old Andrea Johnson was hooked.

"I told my dad I wanted to be the person in that gown," she says.

"He told me, "That's a public prosecutor, and that was it. I haven't had a change of heart since.

Forty-five years later, advocate Andrea Johnson (51) is the head of the National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate (ID) - the unit tasked with investigating and prosecuting state capture-related cases.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed her earlier this year to replace advocate Hermione Cronje, who resigned in December.

Andrea brings with her a wealth of experience and has been part of many high-profile cases, including the prosecution of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi, who was convicted in 2010 for accepting bribes from drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti.

She was also part of the prosecuting team that put Oscar Pistorius in jail for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp.

Andrea meets us in her office in Pretoria, her petite figure belying her steely resolve and the enormous responsibility she carries on her shoulders. It's an honour to lead the directorate, she says.

"The NPA has trust in my track record and they believe in my ability. The work that has to be done for the ID is extremely important, so for me this position means that what I do matters and everyone is going to count on me."

She expects one of her toughest tasks will be getting the public to understand that nailing state-capture kingpins is not a quick process.