Zuma appoints new SIU head
President Jacob Zuma has appointed Jan Lekhoa Mothibi, a director at Medscheme Holdings, as the new head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Mothibi will take up the post on May 1, replacing Gerhard Visagie who has been acting head of the unit for the past year.
Mothibi has worked for Standard Bank and the South African Revenue Service and served as a prosecutor and magistrate. He is currently the executive director for legal, governance, risk and compliance at Medscheme Holdings.
“We congratulate Advocate Mothibi for his appointment and wish him all the best in his new responsibilities of the investigation of corruption and maladministration,” Zuma said.
The SIU acts upon presidential proclamation to probe graft.
It was one of the institutions that investigated the Nkandla scandal and ordered that legal action be taken against officials to recover funds misspent in the course of the controversial security upgrade at Zuma’s rural home.
It’s head during that time, Vas Soni, quit in February 2015 after expressing frustration that the probe was delayed because the unit struggled to get access to the presidential home. - ANA