Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has announced the appointment of new members to the Companies Tribunal, including chairperson Judge Dennis Davis.

The Companies Tribunal facilitates the resolution of company disputes through conciliation, mediation and arbitration, potentially avoiding lengthy and costly litigation. 

Davis previously served as head of the Competition Appeal Court and the Tax Appeal Court. He is a member of the Commission of Enquiry into Tax Structure of South Africa and was a technical adviser to the Constitutional Assembly where negotiations for South Africa's interim and final constitutions were formulated and concluded.

He has been a visiting lecturer and professor at the Universities of Cambridge, Florida, Toronto and Harvard.

Minah Tong-Mongalo is the new deputy chairperson of the Companies Tribunal.

She is a commercial law specialist, specialising in contract law, corporate commercial law and corporate governance. She is an admitted attorney of the High Court with 20 years of post-admission experience. Ms Tong-Mongalo is an experienced legal adviser and is pursuing her doctoral studies in the governance of State-owned enterprises.

Hlaleleni Kathleen Dlepu has been in the legal profession for a number of years and is an admitted attorney, conveyancer and notary public. She was appointed as the first chairperson of the Legal Practice Council in 2018. Her career highlights also include her tenure as Secretary General of the Black Lawyers Association, a council member of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces and co-chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa. 

Diane Terblanche has extensive expertise in law and consumer advocacy and is an experienced managing attorney. A former director of the Legal Aid Clinic at the University of the Western Cape, she is skilled in business planning, operations management, law enforcement, information technology strategy and policy analysis.

Professor Clement Marumoagae is an associate professor at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). He is also a practising attorney specialising in pension law and family law.

He lectures pension, insolvency, land, and procedural law courses at post- and undergraduate levels. He is a former councillor of the Legal Practice Council and the inaugural chair of its education committee. He is currently an academic member of the Judicial Service Commission.

Joshua Sasha Kadish is an admitted attorney of the High Court with expertise in corporate law and finance. He is a published author in various renowned legal journals. He practiced as a senior associate in the Corporate Commercial Department of a large, well-known legal firm before co-founding a fintech company which he currently manages.

Richard Bradstreet is a legal academic and an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town, and a member of the Cape Bar. He is a contributor to Juta’s Commentary on the Companies Act and has published several articles in peer-reviewed academic journals on a range of commercial law topics, including company law, which he also teaches.

Fulufhedzani Shane Mudzunga is a director of a law firm. He has focused on commercial contracts, mediation and negotiation.

Nomagcisa Cawe previously lectured in law at the Universities of Transkei and North-West and has extensive experience in dispute resolution. She has been an Acting Judge of the Labour Court and is the chairperson of the Special Pensions Appeals Board.  

Brian Jennings is a director of a well-known law firm and has extensive practical experience in mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.

Dr Alli Chicktay is a senior lecturer at the School of Law at Wits and was the previous chairperson of the Companies Tribunal. Chicktay is also currently a Commissioner with the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa and the Community Schemes Ombud Service.

“The Companies Tribunal is made up of persons with a broad mix of skills and experience. As part of building a strong and capable state, we have sought to draw on the widest South African talent pool.

“The calibre of candidates will provide the public and business with confidence that we have a tribunal that will be of significant benefit to our society, and I wish them well in their work,” says Patel.