An alumnus of both Wesfleur Primary and Atlantis Secondary schools, Advocate Hermione Cronje, new Head of Investigations within the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), is proud of her local roots.
She plays a leading part in an organisation that deals with serious, complex and high-level corruption cases, including allegations that have emerged from recent Zondo, Nugent and Mpati commissions of inquiry.
Always a leader
According to some of Cronje’s former classmates, she has had strong leadership qualities from her primary school days. They felt she was destined to reach the top, some even saying they would not be surprised if she became the first female President.
Made for the job
She is no stranger to playing a leading role in setting up and consolidating criminal prosecuting authorities. A statement from Bulelwa Makeke, head of communications at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), describes Cronje was a recognised anti-corruption expert.
“Advocate Cronje has the academic qualifications, wealth of knowledge and practical expertise required for this crucial position,” it says.
“She is highly regarded in the law enforcement community as a tenacious, energetic and competent woman, and is therefore well placed to coordinate with the investigative directorate’s key partners, notably the South African Police Service, and in particular Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
“She is an internationally recognised anti-corruption expert with extensive experience working with the NPA which, in 1998, she was part of establishing the Investigating Directorate into Serious Economic Offences and Investigating Directorate into Organised Crime.”
A history of crime fighting
After helping to set up the office of the NDPP, Cronje spent eight years as regional head of its Western Cape Asset Forfeiture Unit, an office she built from scratch.
Makeke said Cronje initiated several groundbreaking asset forfeiture cases opened under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
These include the confiscation application in the Schabir Shaik arms deal corruption case, resulting in a Constitutional Court judgment forfeiting to the state R30 m of the proceeds of corruption. Cronje left the NPA in 2011 and was an advocate in private practice before taking up her new appointment.
