Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the Tribunal President and Judges of the Special Tribunal, which has a statutory mandate to recover public funds syphoned from the fiscus through corruption, fraud, and illicit money flows.

According to South African Government News Agency, in a statement on Friday, The Presidency said President Ramaphosa had made these appointments in terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunal Act of 1996 and following consultation with Chief Justice Mandisa Maya. The President has appointed Judge Margaret Victor as Tribunal President, with effect from today, Friday, 1 November 2024, for a period of three years.

The President has also appointed the following additional judges for a period of three years starting today: Judge Thandi Victoria Norman of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Judge David Makhoba of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Judge Brian A Mashile of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, Judge Andre Henry Petersen of t
he North West Division of the High Court, and Judge Chantel Moira Jennifer Fortuin of the Western Cape Division of the High Court.

The Presidency explained that the Special Tribunals differ from ordinary civil proceedings which are adversarial in nature. The Special Tribunal adopts a more flexible and expeditious approach to legal actions. Its proceedings are inquisitorial in nature and characterised by extensive pre-trial investigations.