Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has appointed Silindile Kubheka (pictured) as the chairperson of the Ombud Council. She will replace Advocate Deanne Wood, who was the chairperson from the inception of the Ombud Council until December 2022.
The council is the “regulator” of the country’s two statutory ombud schemes and the five ombud schemes established by the financial services sector. It does not, however, adjudicate consumer complaints.
Kubheka has served as a member of the board of directors of the Ombud Council since November 2020, National Treasury said in a statement.
Treasury described Kubheka as a “seasoned finance professional” with more than 19 years of experience in the government and private sectors.
She is currently the head of group finance: governance and risk compliance at Transnet.
Godongwana has also appointed Lebohang Senne to the board of the Ombud Council.
Senne, who is a Chartered Accountant, is currently a deputy chairperson of the board of the Financial Reporting Standards Council.
Kubheka’s and Senne’s appointments take effect from 1 February, and they will serve for three years.
Godongwana thanked Wood for her diligence and outstanding service during the establishment phase of the council.
Wood was a partner at firm law Fasken and a specialist in insurance law and financial services, and pension law and regulatory law when she was appointed.
He also thanked Advocate Dikeledi Chabedi, the deputy chairperson of the council, who stepped in as acting chairperson to ensure continuity pending the appointment of the new chairperson.
The Ombud Council aims to assist in ensuring that financial customers have access to affordable, effective, independent and fair alternative dispute resolution processes for complaints about financial products and services.
The council has the authority to take regulatory action against ombud schemes where a scheme contravenes or is likely to contravene a financial sector law relating to an ombud scheme.
In October last year, Godongwana named Leanne Jackson as the Chief Ombud of the Ombud Council.
