Willie Seriti

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Inquiry proceedings

On 24 October 2011, President Zuma announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry tasked with allegations of fraud, corruption, impropriety and irregularity in the 1999 Strategic Defence Procurement Package, better known as the Arms Deal; he also named Seriti as the commission's chairperson. [21] Better known as the Arms Procurement Commission, the Arms Deal Commission, or the Seriti Commission, the inquiry was wracked with high-profile resignations – including the resignation of two successive commissioners, judges Willem van der Merwe and Francis Legodi, before the commission even held its first hearings. [22]

The commission ultimately sat as a two-man panel, composed of Seriti and judge Hendrick Musi, with its first hearings held in August 2013. [23] After its term was repeatedly extended, it ultimately closed on 30 June 2015. [24] [25] By that time, several other employees of the commission had resigned; [24] one of them, attorney Norman Moabi, accused Seriti of pursuing a "second agenda", [26] and Seriti was also accused of nepotism in the administration of the commission. [27] [28] The final report of the commission was submitted to President Zuma on 30 December 2015. [29]

In August 2019, Judge President Dunstan Mlambo of the Gauteng High Court set aside the Seriti Commission's findings, on the basis that it had omitted to admit, interrogate and pursue relevant evidence and thus had failed to comprehensively investigate the matters set out in its terms of reference. [30] [31] [32] The ruling was a result of a review application by Corruption Watch and Right2Know. [33] In November 2021, more than two years after the judgement, Seriti and Musi applied to appeal the High Court's decision to overturn the commission's findings, saying that the judgement was being "used as a whip to harass us", [34] but they were denied leave to appeal in September 2022. [35]

Meanwhile, in 2021, the Judicial Conduct Committee of the Judicial Service Commission heard a complaint about alleged misconduct by Seriti and Musi during the course of the Seriti Commission. [36] [37] However, ahead of the JCC hearings, Seriti and Musi submitted a court application to halt the process, challenging the constitutionality of the provision of the Judicial Service Commission Act which allowed misconduct proceedings against retired judges, such as themselves; [36] that application was dismissed in April 2023. [38]

Personal life

He is married to Nomvuyo Seriti, an attorney and businesswoman; [39] they have three children. [1] [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Judge Willie Legoabe Seriti" (PDF). Advocate. 16 (3): 29. December 2003.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal". Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Moseneke, Dikgang (1 January 2018). My Own Liberator: A Memoir. Pan Macmillan South africa. ISBN   978-1-77010-509-6.
  4. ↑ "New court gives consumers more clout". The Mail & Guardian. 6 December 1996. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Meet the co-chairpersons". De Rebus: 6. May 1998.
  6. ↑ "Top lawyer in the dock". The Mail & Guardian. 30 April 1999. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Top lawyer defends charges over fees". The Mail & Guardian. 7 May 1999. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Mbeki appoints new judges". News24. 11 April 2003. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Judge W L Seriti". Judges Matter. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Court upholds Waterkloof Four murder conviction". The Mail & Guardian. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Did judge authorise tape recordings?". The Star. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Arms deal: Conflict of interest twist raises alarm". The Mail & Guardian. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Appointment by President Zuma of members of the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office bearers". South African Government. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "Zuma appoints new remuneration commissioners". News24. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Judge defends her private life". News24. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "JSC names ConCourt shortlist". News24. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Then there were seven..." News24. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "JSC choices leave a lot to be explained". The Mail & Guardian. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "Still too few black judges". Sunday Times. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "President Zuma appoints Judges to the Supreme Court of Appeal, Competition Appeal Court and the various divisions of the High Courts". South African Government. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  21. ↑ Grootes, Stephen (28 October 2011). "Two and a half cheers for the Arms Deal terms of reference". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Arms commission to respond later". IOL. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  23. ↑ "Zuma says two-man arms commission can proceed". Business Day. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Arms deal inquiry: It's a wrap". The Mail & Guardian. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Judge Seriti has left the building". The Mail & Guardian. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  26. ↑ "Arms deal probe judge in firing line". The Mail & Guardian. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Seriti's 'family ties' tangle office politics". The Mail & Guardian. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "Arms deal probe: Seriti's wife went along for the ride". The Mail & Guardian. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  29. ↑ "President Jacob Zuma receives final report from Arms Deal Commission". South African Government. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  30. ↑ Karrim, Azarrah (21 August 2019). "Arms Deal: Seriti inquiry findings set aside". News24. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "Decision to set aside Seriti Commission findings will have a profound impact". Daily Maverick. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  32. ↑ Smith, Tymon (1 October 2019). "South African arms deal not over yet". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  33. ↑ Nicolson, Greg (21 August 2019). "Seriti findings a failure: 'Inexplicable' for commission to ignore evidence of corruption". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  34. ↑ Rabkin, Franny (28 November 2021). "Judges bring belated challenge to order setting their arms deal report aside". Sunday Times. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  35. ↑ Dolley, Caryn (2 September 2022). "Attempt to appeal scrapping of Arms Deal findings thrown out by high court". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  36. 1 2 Nicolson, Greg (2 July 2021). "Arms Deal inquiry judges Seriti and Musi cry 'blatant absurdity' as they move to thwart JSC probe". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  37. ↑ Sidimba, Loyiso (25 November 2021). "Retired arms deal judges fight to evade misconduct complaint". IOL. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  38. ↑ "Seriti and Musi's challenge to JSC act dismissed". The Mail & Guardian. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  39. ↑ "Battle over BEE group intensifies". The Mail & Guardian. 23 June 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
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Willie Seriti
Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal
In office
4 December 2010 –21 July 2019