Shahied Daniels, the former chief executive of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants.
The Financial Services Tribunal has set aside a decision by the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA) involving former South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) Chief Executive Officer Shahied Daniels, ruling that the adjudicator lacked the legal authority to hear his complaint while related civil proceedings were already pending before the High Court.
The tribunal held that Section 30H(2) of the Pension Funds Act barred the adjudicator from investigating Daniels' complaint because SAIPA had already instituted civil action against him before he approached the PFA. The tribunal found that the adjudicator's determination made in August 2025 was therefore unlawful and had to be set aside.
The ruling clarifies the jurisdictional limits of the Pension Funds Adjudicator where disputes involving pension benefit withholding overlap with pending litigation in the courts.
Daniels served as SAIPA's CEO from January 2019 until his dismissal in September 2024 following an extensive disciplinary process. He was found guilty on charges of contravening the institute’s rules, policies, codes, processes, procedures and gross negligence, misconduct and serious governance breaches.
