Podcast
Catch the latest episode of The Witness below. Hosted by Fatima Hassan and Produced by Volume Africa
In this episode we are looking at the topic of “punishment” for whistleblowers and one story that even ends in a death sentence. Host: Khadija Sharife
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Tersia Lewis is a National Project Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and is based in the Regional Office for South Africa in Pretoria.
Her role with the UNODC Global Anti-Corruption Programme is aimed at preventing and combatting corruption through effective implementation of United Nations Convention against Corruption, in support of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Together with colleagues in the Regional Office for Southern Africa, the newly established Anti-Corruption Hub in Nairobi and the UNODC headquarters in Vienna, technical assistance and other requested support is rendered to countries in the region on issues such as inter-agency cooperation for the investigation and prosecution of anti-corruption cases, whistle-blower protection and the protection of witnesses, asset disclosure and managing conflict of interest in the context of public procurement.
Prior to joining UNODC, she spent 20 years in public service in the Government of South Africa, where she focused on a range of issues in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, including counter-terrorism and transnational organized crime focus areas such as wildlife crime, drug trafficking and the trafficking of precious metals and stones. In this regard, she has participated in the development of South Africa’s strategies to counter illegal mining, wildlife trafficking and the problem of gang activities.
She holds a Master’s degree in Public Services Policy and Management from King’s College, University of London.
Claire Hédon is a French journalist, who was appointed the 2020 Defender of Rights in France.
Advocate Mashabane has previously served South Africa in numerous responsibilities in the diplomatic space. From 2018 to date, he served as the Elected Chair of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy.
He also served as South Africa’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations in New York between 2011 and 2015.
He represents South Africa who currently hold the Chairship of Cybercrime Group of Experts in Vienna.
He was also appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as one of 25 members of Governmental Group of Experts on Cybersecurity and international Peace and Security.
Advocate Mashabane returns to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development having started there in 2002 in the Constitutional Development branch. He has over 15 years experience at senior management level in public service.
Hennie is the founding Director of Open Secrets and has over twenty years’ experience working on issues of economic crime and accountability from within civil society. Hennie is the author of Apartheid Guns & Money: A Tale of Profit (2017 & 2018) and co-author of The Devil in the Detail: How the Arms Deal Changed Everything (2011).
Vladimir Radomirović is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Pištaljka (The Whistle), a whistleblowing platform in Serbia.
Vladimir worked in a number of media in the Balkans before becoming a whistleblower himself and starting Pištaljka 15 years ago.
At Pištaljka, Vladimir coordinates a team of 4 journalists and 4 lawyers that provide journalistic and legal help to whistleblowers. Pištaljka was behind the adoption of Serbia’s groundbreaking Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers (2014) and the United Nations Resolution on the Protection of Reporting Persons/Whistleblowers (2023).
Vladimir is a trustee of Whistleblowing International Network (WIN) and the co-chair of the UNCAC Coalition’s Working Group on the protection of whistleblowers. Vladimir is also a founding member of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), based in Leipzig, Germany.
Mrs. Thandeka Ggubule-Mbeki has extensive experience in management, governance,journalism and teaching.
She served at the South African Broadcasting Authority (SABC) as an Economics Editor and earlier as the produce for the programme called ‘the agenda’ and was the Associate Editor at the Financial Mail.
Mrs. Ggubule-Mbeki taught journalism at Rhodes University and Monash University, where she established the journalism department.
She is currently serving as the in the financial sector as the independent non-executive board member Itransact Fund Managers, and the Automated Outsourcing Services (AOS).
Mrs. Ggubule-Mbeki is an award-winning writer who co-authored the book titled Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe: New Reflection and wrote the book titled No Longer Whispering to Power: The story of Thuli Madonsela and Semane; Queen of the Peaceful Crocodile. An Economic History of the Bafokeng People.
Mrs. Ggubule-Mbeki was recognised by various institutions for her governance, journalism and writing skills. She was in the Top 5 finalists for the National Sunday Times Alan Paten Literary Award, received an award from the Institute of Internal Auditors SA: Guardian of Governance. The South African National Editors Forum (SANEF) recognised with the Nat Nakasa Award. She was the winner of the Toyota Stellenbosch University Woordfees Non-fiction award.
Amongst her academic qualifications, Ms Ggubule-Mbeki holds two master’s degrees, a Master of Journalism from Columbia University, New York, and a Master of Philosophy Degree in International Business and completed the Executive Leadership Program at the Oxford University. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies at the Rhodes University, where she is the TV Lecturer.
The Director-General in the Presidency and Secretary of Cabinet, Ms Phindile Baleni, (formerly Nzimande), was born in Soweto and spent her childhood and early adulthood in Katlehong, in the East Rand of Gauteng.
Director-General Baleni boasts a distinguished professional career both in the public service and in the private sector. Ms Baleni is an admitted Attorney and Conveyancer holding a B.Proc and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees, both from the University of Witwatersrand, where she enrolled after matriculating from a high school in Vosloorus. She commenced her legal career as a Candidate Attorney at Wright Rose Innes Attorneys in Germiston, where she subsequently became a Professional Assistant. She left the firm to become a partner at Moseneke and Partners in 1993.
In 1994 she was appointed special legal advisor to the then Gauteng MEC for Local Government and Housing, specialising in constitutional and administrative law issues. During this period, she was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of NURCHA, a lead project of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, by former President Nelson Mandela.
At the end of 1996, Ms Baleni joined the municipality of the City of Johannesburg, where she accumulated substantial experience in strategic planning and the management of complex and diverse projects. Here she spearheaded various transformation initiatives and the formation of new municipal-owned entities. Later, as Executive Director of the Contract Management Unit, she would go on to create and manage the legal and governance frameworks for such entities as Joburg Water, City Parks, City Power and Johannesburg Roads Agency, and manage the shareholder interests on behalf of the city.
In July 2003, Ms Baleni joined Electricity Distribution Industry Holdings as CEO, an organisation formed by the then Department of Minerals and Energy to oversee the establishment of six financially viable Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) in South Africa. This national project involved assets worth about R270 billion then, and a staff compliment of close to 30 000.
She was subsequently appointed as the CEO of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) in April 2011. In this capacity she became the Chairperson of the Regional Electricity Regional Regulators Association (RERA) – a Southern African Development Community (SADC) body – and a member of the executive committee of the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR) – an African Union body. These bodies were established with the aim of harmonising and integrating regulatory frameworks for African utilities as part of the African Union’s objective of creating an environment conducive to investment in infrastructure on the continent.
In March 2015, Ms Baleni assumed duty as the Director-General in the Office of the Premier, Gauteng Province, a post to which she brought a wealth of experience in strategic leadership and management. Highlights of her work included: leading the team that developed Growing Gauteng Together: 2030 Plan of Action; promoting innovation in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and establishing a new Disaster Management structure as she spearheaded the Gauteng City Region Reponse to COVID-19.
Ms Baleni focused on government performance and good governance during her tenure. She led the development of a “medico-legal litigation battle plan” to reduce the financial losses arising from medical negligence claims against Government, amongst others. For this and other achievemets she was conferred the 2019/2020 DPSA Batho Pele Award for the best Provincial DG, silver and the Office of the Premier Gauteng won the best Premier’s Office award, bronze.
Ms Baleni who previously chaired the board of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (MERSETA), currently serves on the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) board, as well as on the Council of the University of Witwatersrand.
In April 2021, Ms Baleni was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the post of Director-General of The Presidency and Secretary of Cabinet. Ms Baleni has thus made history as the first woman to be appointed as head of the highest political office in the land, and thereby, the most senior public servant. In this capacity she is responsible for ensuring that government is coherent and delievers on its electoral mandate. The latter is encapsulated in the National Development Plan (the broad and long-term plan of government), and MTSF, which incoporates the 6th Administration’s seven priorities. To this end, Director-General Phindile Baleni has her work cut out and is fully ensconced in her duties which include: steering The Presidency, overseeing Cabinet processes, and heading up FOSAD which is the planning and coordination machanism of Directors General of all government departments, provincial Offices of all the Premier and local government through SALGA. She is also the first Head of Public Administration (HOPA), a position contemplated in the NDP as a necessary element towards building a professional and capable public service in the country
Anti-corruption activist Jimmy Kande is the Western Africa Director of PPLAAF. Originally a financial expert and banker, he worked as a credit risk manager at the Commercial Bank of Congo and is the President of the Pan African Anti-Corruption Network, UNIS. He has worked as a Senior Researcher in Political Economy at the Congo Research Group, a project based at New York University. He is a coordinating member of the “Congo is not for sale” platform, a coalition of 14 local and international organizations (PPLAAF, Global Witness, The Carter Center, Congo Research Group, Resource Matters) fighting corruption in the DRC. He holds a degree in finance and development from the Catholic University of Congo and a degree in banking management from the Ecole Supérieure de la Banque de Paris.
Salomon Hoogenraad-Vermaak is the Head of the Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit (a Chief Directorate in the Department of Public Service and Administration). This Unit, in terms of section 15 of the Public Administration Management Act, is mandated to: develop norms and standards on ethics, integrity, conduct and discipline management; to provide technical assistance in this regard; to build capacity around discipline management; to strengthen oversight on ethics, conduct and discipline management; and to promote and enhance good ethics and integrity. The current focus of the Unit is to implement lifestyle audits, to ensure financial declarations, to build capacity and to improve discipline management.
Before joining the Department of Public Service and Administration, Salomon was a senior manager in the Integrity Management Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority. Prior to that, he was a counter intelligence officer in the South African National Defence Force, Military Intelligence (South African Military Health Service). He started his career as a teacher.
Amina Mwaikambo is a Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Practitioner at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in South Africa. She is a registered psychologist whose areas of practice include providing direct psychotherapeutic and psychosocial support to survivors of torture, organised violence, violence-related trauma and other gross human rights violations. She has experience providing technical support nationally, regionally and globally to practitioners who work in regions affected by war and political conflict. She is currently completing her PhD in psychology focused on the intersections of torture, gender and conflict in South Africa. As such, her research interests are centred on the intersections of mental health, gender, inequality, identity and violence.
Amina’s expertise includes project management for mental health programs and advancing mental health rights in diverse contexts; developing MHPSS interventions, and contributing towards the integration of trauma-informed processes and systems in communities, organisations, and in transitional justice processes.
Tracey Lee Miller is a strategic leader, social impact activist, and program architect dedicated to ethical leadership, civic education, and moral regeneration. She actively drives initiatives that promote constitutional values, empower youth, and advance voter education in South Africa.
Currently, Tracey and the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) team are leading the Constitutional Values Program (CVP) in partnership with the Office of the Public Sector, tackling key societal challenges such as corruption, gender-based violence, xenophobia, and ethical governance. She plays a pivotal role in MRM’s strategic direction, facilitating high-level discussions on planning, stakeholder collaboration, and public engagement.
A results-driven professional, Tracey excels in business development, policy leadership, and media partnerships, working closely with government institutions, civil society, and the public sector. Passionate about leveraging media and education for social transformation, she remains committed to building a more ethical, values-driven society.
Ms Sefura Matlala (Mongalo) is a public servant who serves on full-time basis as the Senior Manager of Market Data Analytics, at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in South Africa. She holds two Masters’ degrees – an MBA from MANCOSA and a Master of Knowledge Management from Multimedia University in Malaysia.
Within the SIU, she leads the Market Data Analytics projects that result in trend analysis reports aligned to various vulnerable sectors. Her significant contributions are crucial in advising the government on measures against corruption.
Ms Matlala played a significant role as a steering committee member, in developing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) which is now being effectively implemented. She is assigned by the SIU to provide support, for the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council (NACAC) within the Office of the President of South Africa since in 2022.
Under Ms Matlala’s guidance, the NACAC accomplished achievements, such as organizing the Data Analytics workshop (InData), hosting the National Dialogue in 2023 and 2024, Youth dialogue 2024 and Gender Session 2024. These projects created opportunities to engage stakeholders effectively realizing NACSs goal of an approach involving all sectors in combating corruption. Ms Matlala’s diverse skills and strong leadership continue to play a role in shaping South Africa’s corruption landscape.
Appointed currently as Senior Expert: M&E of Anti- Corruption Programme in DPME; and Head of Secretariat of the National Anti-Corruption Council (NACAC).
Served as Director Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) Capacity Development in the Department of PM&E in the Presidency from 2011 to March 2024.
Adjunct Professor at the Department of Public Administration at University of Fort Hare: Teaching and Supervising of post graduate students.
Forty years of public sector experience that includes working as curriculum, qualification and assessment specialist in the National School of Government, Curriculum Institute in the Gauteng Dept of Education, South African Qualifications Authority, Technikon Wits and in the Kwa-Zulu Department of Education.
Anna Myers is Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), a network to strengthen civil society organisations supporting whistleblowers around the world. Anna has worked in the field of whistleblowing law and practice for 25 years. She was Deputy Director of Public Concern at Work (now Protect) in London and worked for the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in Strasbourg. She has supported civil society, policy makers, governments and institutions in over 35 countries, providing expertise and training. She wrote the UNODC 2015 Resource Guide on Good Practices in Protecting Reporting Persons and the 2023 IFAC/CPA-Canada report Understanding Whistleblowing: Laws, Practices, Trends and Key Implementation Considerations. Under her leadership, WIN helped secure the EU Directive to protect whistleblowers and runs the EU Whistleblowing Monitor.
Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka resumed her career as an aspirant prosecutor in 2004 and left the National Prosecuting Authority in 2016 as a Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions after 10 years of her 12 years prosecutions and executive management at the High Court level. She was also a Specialist Prosecutor in the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit within the NPA, in which she dealt with, amongst others, areas of human trafficking, gender based violence, drug trafficking and children matters.
She thereafter was employed as the Special Advisor to the Ministers for the Department of Public Service and Administration; Department of Home Affairs and Department of Finance in the republic of South Africa respectively – with a specific focus in the areas of administration, legal, legislation and policy development, strategy, compliance, and governance. Adv. Gcaleka, served on the Committee of Enquiry probing the state of affairs of municipalities across Gauteng. She has also served on various boards and is currently a board member of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), a member of the United Nations Working Group of the International Ombudsman Institute and is the Chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC). She is also the co-drafter of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism South African Charter of the National General Council. She was recently elected as the President of the International Ombudsman Institute’s African Region. Advocate Gcaleka, the Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa now spans 20 years of legal experience.
She is the former first black female National Chairperson of the Society of State Advocates. Adv. Gcaleka holds a LLB Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a LLM with her dissertation titled “Impact of the financial intelligence centre act and the risk-based approach on the closing of bank accounts” in Commercial Law from the University of Johannesburg and is the Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa.
Nicole Fritz has led several prominent organisations dedicated to upholding human rights and the rule of law in South Africa and the wider region: having established the Southern Africa Litigation Centre in 2005, then serving as executive director of Freedom Under Law (FUL) and subsequently the Helen Suzman Foundation. Currently, she is executive director of the Campaign for Free Expression, a NGO dedicated to protecting and expanding the right to free expression for all so that we might realise our fullest humanity, advance truth, secure better government and coexist peacefully. She also serves on the national working committee of Defend Our Democracy, an umbrella movement of various civil society structures in South Africa coordinating efforts to strengthen South Africa’s constitutional democracy. She has participated in several global initiatives relating to the protection of international human rights law, humanitarian law and public interest litigation. She has also taught courses relating to these topics in South Africa and the United States and contributes public comment to these topics.
Ms Kavisha Pillay is a well-known social justice activist with a track record in fighting corruption and advancing accountability. Ms Pillay has been employed at Corruption Watch, a non-profit organisation, for the last decade and currently manages work streams that relate to the intake of whistle-blower complaints, the publication of organizational research, and the development and implementation of public mobilization campaigns.
In her role, Ms Pillay has developed open-data platforms such as the Veza tool, produced over 20 publications on various anti-corruption topics, authored a number of media articles and submissions, and developed best practice policy for parliamentary appointment processes. Ms Pillay also has extensive experience in governance and currently serves on various multi-sectoral committees that seeks to root out corruption in our country.
Ms Pillay is currently serving a four-year term as the female representative for Southern Africa on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) YouthLED Board, an initiative that forms part of the Global Resources for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE). Ms Pillay is also Social Change Initiative international fellow, conducting research and developing tools to counter disinformation.
Somadoda Fikeni is a public figure who has held various leadership roles in the public sector organizations and as a scholar or public intellectual who has influenced public discourse, institution building and public policies. He is currently the chairperson of the Public Service Commission of South Africa as well as the chairperson of the Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios Board of Trustees.
One of the leading public commentators on politics, policy, economic, social and heritage issues in South African and international media and forums having been recognized with several awards for this work. He is a public speaker as well as a motivational speaker. He has received several honours and awards in South Africa and abroad and one of these is the honorary chieftaincy that was bestowed on him in Ghana. He is a community development activist and has initiated a number of community development and charity organizations to mobilize resources for assistance of the poor and the disadvantaged. As a student leader and a youth he was involved in anti-apartheid struggle and got detained on numerous occasions for his activism.
Gemma-Maé is the Regional Project Officer for PPLAAF Southern Africa. She has a Master’s Degree in Political and International Studies from Rhodes University, specialising in Human Rights and violations thereof. She has a background in research, political analysis, and communications management, with various academic and online publications, she has been accompanying whistleblowers for a number of years.
Zakhona Mvelase is the founder of the African Women Against Corruption Network (AWACN), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in anti-corruption efforts across Africa and addressing the unique impact of corruption on women and girls.
A seasoned anti-corruption practitioner, Zakhona has over a decade of experience in governance and anti-corruption in South Africa. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner and holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University. Zakhona was awarded the prestigious Harvard South Africa Fellowship, which recognizes mid-career professionals who exemplify ethical leadership, knowledge-sharing, and a commitment to transforming their communities.
In recognition of her outstanding academic achievement and professional promise, Zakhona was also awarded the John F. Kennedy Fellowship from the Harvard Kennedy School. In 2023, she was named an Eisenhower Global Fellow, joining a select group of 25 emerging leaders recognised for their commitment to fostering a more peaceful, just, and prosperous world.
Zakhona has a special research interest in the intersection of gender and corruption and currently leads the UNCAC Coalition Working Group on Mainstreaming Gender and Promoting Inclusion in Anti-Corruption Frameworks. Through her work, she continues to champion innovative solutions that empower women and young girls in the fight against corruption across the African continent.
Cynthia Stimpel is a Motivational Speaker, speaking on her story as a Whistle Blower, and “making a difference where you are”. She is a Yoga Instructor for Adults and Children. She is a current Board Member of – National Committee – Defend our Democracy. She has held prior Board roles in Amnesty International, Health-E and Johannesburg Children’s Home. She volunteers at Accountability Now, Radio Veritas, and does community work. She is the Author of “Hijackers on Board”, about her experience at South African Airways (SAA). Highest qualification is an MBA from Milpark Business School. Her career has been primarily in Banking, Treasury and Risk Management environment. The last ten years was at SAA of which 8 years was as Head of Financial Risk, and the last 2 years was in the role of Group Treasurer. She was awarded the Citation on Integrity Award by the Air Pilots Association of South Africa (APLA-SA) in 2021.
Awarded the BluePrint for Free Speech in 2022- Special Recognition Award. Congress of Business Economics awarded her the “Ahmed Kathrada Excellence in Leadership Award” in 2023. The last three years she supported whistleblowers as the Whistleblower Liaison Manager at The Whisteblower House. She is now venturing out on her own.
Roshnee Narrandes is Southern Africa Director at PPLAAF. Roshnee has a long history of working on Human Rights, Social Justice, Democracy and Governance within the SADC region, particularly on policy and advocacy. She has worked with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), in the donor space with the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) and most recently was the lead for Freedom House as part of a consortium implementing a USAID funded program on Advancing Rights in Southern Africa (ARISA). She has vast experience on Human Rights Defenders and is particularly interested in the rights of marginalized and vulnerable communities.
Roshnee has an undergraduate degree in English and Communications from the University of Johannesburg, a Masters in Public and Development Management from the University of the Witwatersrand and has completed a number of short courses including one on Leadership in Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Gabriel Bourdon-Fattal is the Director of Programmes at PPLAAF and Co-Director at Climate Whistleblowers. Gabriel is an experienced human rights jurist and campaigner. Among others, Gabriel led an organisation against the deportation of migrant workers’ children and worked on environmental justice issues in the Middle East. Gabriel has an LL .B from the University of Haifa and a Master in African Legal Studies from Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne.
Gabriel is an alumnus of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin and of the Our Generation Speaks Fellowship in Boston.
Dr. Liezl Groenewald is the CEO of The Ethics Institute (TEI), a past president of BEN-Africa, and a co-founding director of The Whistleblower House. She holds a Master’s and a Doctorate in Applied Ethics from Wits and Stellenbosch University, respectively. As an experienced facilitator, she facilitates for TEI and the IoDSA and is a guest lecturer at MCI, Austria, since 2026.
A sought-after speaker at global conferences, Liezl is also a media commentator on ethics and whistleblowing. She has authored numerous articles and key resources, including the Whistleblowing Non-retaliation Toolkit, Whistleblowing First Responder Guide, and the Whistleblowing Management Handbook.
She serves on various governance bodies, including CPUT’s Council and the King Committee on Good Governance. She chairs multiple ethics committees and represented South Africa on global technical groups for ISO 37000 and ISO 37002, advancing ethical governance and whistleblowing management worldwide.
William BOURDON has been a member of the Paris Bar since 1980, and is also an international human rights activist. His main areas of practice are criminal law, business law, public law, media law and public and private international law (including arbitration law and commercial contracts).
In complex human rights cases, he has assisted the Franco-Chilean families in proceedings that led to the issue of an international arrest warrant for Augusto PINOCHET, and defended the victims of Hissène HABRÉ in a trial that took place before the Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar over several weeks and led to Hissène HABRÉ being sentenced to life imprisonment
In international business law and criminal business law, particularly in the fight against corruption, embezzlement and money laundering, he was at the origin of the proceedings initiated in 2007 which led to the conviction of Teodoro OBIANG, son of the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, for various financial offences, and continues to support the so-called “ill-gotten gains” proceedings relating to the enrichment of numerous heads of state in Africa. Still in his capacity as TRANPASRENCY INTERNATIONAL’s lawyer, the proceedings he initiated led to the indictment of various African dignitaries (Gabon, Congo Brazzaville). Before the African courts, the State of Senegal gave him the task of assisting in the proceedings that led to the conviction of Karim Wade and his accomplices.
He is one of those who initiated the protection of whistleblowers in France and Europe. It was in this context that he defended the whistleblowers behind the conviction of UBS in France, Hervé FALCIANI (SwissLeaks) leading to the prosecution of HSBC, Antoine DELTOUR acquitted by the Luxembourg courts after the revelations that led to the LuxLeaks and with Edward SNOWDEN’s American lawyers and finally Rui PINTO, a Portuguese national who is the subject of various proceedings in Lisbon that led to the FootballLeaks and Luanda Leaks. Specifically in Africa, he organised and structured the defence of the South African whistleblowers whose revelations led to the departure of ZUMA.
In addition, his firm continues to assist private parties and NGOs in major international corruption cases in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
He also advises various governments and public bodies in Africa on negotiating and drafting international contracts.
Lastly, he acts on major environmental law cases on behalf of various NGOs in France and abroad, before both the criminal and administrative courts.
He is the lawyer of several foreign and/or Franco-African businessmen and politicians and assists them in various criminal proceedings initiated by different regimes, sometimes leading to international arrest warrants. He organised the international defence of the former president of Brazil, LULA.
Deeply committed to freedom of expression, he also regularly acts as counsel for journalists, the media and opponents facing prosecution in various countries around the world.
Finally, the firm’s multi-faceted practice also advises and litigates for architects (Jean NOUVEL) and former sports greats (Michel PLATINI, Yannick NOAH).
He is also a frequent speaker at conferences in France and abroad, and writes articles on a regular basis on international criminal and civil justice, human rights, criminal law, globalisation, terrorism, the fight against corruption, whistleblowers, and environmental and economic crime.
Lastly, he plays an active role in various projects within French and European institutions, as well as in parliamentary work in France, Brussels and Strasbourg (European Parliament, Council of Europe) through hearings and/or submission of notes (written proposals) and drafting of amendments on the same subjects. He set up the SHERPA association in 2001, of which he is founding chairman (https://www.asso-sherpa.org/accueil).
It is in this context that it has initiated various procedures that have sometimes led to mediation (AREVA, TOTAL for its activities in Burma), but also to legal proceedings (VINCI for its activities in Qatar, SAMSUNG, etc.).
More recently, he set up the PPLAAF association (Plateforme de Protection des Lanceurs d’Alerte en Afrique) (https://www.pplaaf.org) His last two books are “Petit manuel de désobéissance citoyenne”, published in February 2014 by Éditions Lattès and “Les dérives de l’état d’urgence” published in January 2017 by Éditions PLON.
Justice Zondo served part of his articles of clerkship under the late Mrs Victoria Mxenge in the latter’s law firm in Durban. After Mrs Mxenge’s assassination by apartheid agents, Justice Zondo ceded his articles of clerkship to Mthembu & Partners and later to Chennels Alberton Attorneys. After admission as an attorney he became a partner in a Durban law firm, Mathe and Zondo Incorporated, in which he practised for a number of years before he was appointed as a Judge. He also served on a part-time basis as a mediator and arbitrator. In 1991 and 1992 Justice Zondo served in two committees of the Commission of Inquiry Regarding the Prevention of Public Violence and Intimidation (also known as the Goldstone Commission) which investigated violence in South Africa during the early 1990’s.
In 1994 Justice Zondo was appointed as a member of the Ministerial Task Team which was given the task of producing a draft Labour Relations Bill for the post-apartheid South Africa. With certain amendments, that Bill was later passed as the Labour Relations Act, 1995. In 1996 he was appointed as the first chairperson of the Governing Body of the Commission for the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) from which position he resigned upon appointment as a Judge
With effect from 1 February 1997 Justice Zondo was appointed as an Acting Judge of the Labour Court. With effect from 1 November 1997 he was appointed as a Judge of the Labour Court. In April/May 1999 he was appointed as a Judge of the then Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court (now the North Gauteng Division of the High Court) in Pretoria. With effect from 1 August 1999 he was appointed as Acting Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court and Labour Court. With effect from 1 May 2000 he was appointed as Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court and Labour Court for a term of office of ten years.
While he was Judge President, Justice Zondo served in various ad hoc committees established by the Heads of Courts. These included a committee, chaired by Chief Justice P.N Langa, which drew up a document to be used by the Judiciary in dealing with complaints about racism and sexism within the Judiciary. He also served in committees chaired by Judge President Ngoepe which was established by the Heads of Courts to organize the first and second Conferences of Judges in post-apartheid South Africa. Justice Zondo also chaired a committee of the Heads of Courts which looked into the use of official languages in courts.
After completing his term of office as Judge President in 2010, Justice Zondo returned to the North Gauteng Division of the High Court and resumed his duties as a Judge of that court.
With effect from 1 November 2011 Justice Zondo was appointed as an Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court until 31 May 2012. On the 13th August 2012 he was appointed as a Judge of the Constitutional Court with effect from the 1st September 2012.
On 01 June 2017 Justice Zondo was appointed as Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa. On 01 April 2022, Deputy Chief Justice Zondo was appointed as Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer with the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. Ms. Portas is a Doctor in Law and has a PhD doctorate in anti-corruption. She has been with UNODC since 2016. Before joining the United Nations, she worked in the compliance departments of several private companies. As a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer, Ms. Portas provides technical assistance to States parties to fast-track and strengthen their implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Ms. Portas is also specialized on issues related to whistleblower protection and serves as the whistleblower protection focal point for the Corruption Economic Crime Branch. In this regard, she provided expertise and support to a wide range of countries on whistleblower protection frameworks.
Prof Firoz Cachalia was appointed as the NACAC- Chair in 2022 by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He is the Director of the Mandela Institute within the University of the Witwatersrand. Addition to his day to day job he serves in various executive management roles such as SASSFE (in conjunction with WITS foundation on fund raising), The ANC, Ahmed Kathrada Trusts. He is also a board member for Corruption Watch, Hlanganisa Institute of Development of Southern Africa, and previously the Helen Joseph Hospital, Gauteng Planning Commission.
Henri Thulliez is a lawyer and member of the Paris bar. He graduated in Law School at University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, and holds a LLM from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) as well as a Master in International administration from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
He was the coordinator at Human Rights Watch of the Hissène Habré case, the former president of Chad who was tried before a special court in Senegal. Henri Thulliez has written numerous articles in Le Monde, Libération, Huffington Post US, Huffington Post France and Newsweek Europe.
