Willie Hofmeyr

Mr Willie Hofmeyr obtained his BA in Economics at the University of Cape Town in 1976, followed by a Masters degree in Economic History from the same university in 1984. In 1989 he also obtained LLB from the University of Cape Town. He was admitted as an attorney in 1991.

In May 1999 Mr Hofmeyr was appointed by the President as a Special Director of Public Prosecutions to head the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the NPA. The AFU was established in the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions. It has the power to seize assets that are the proceeds of crime or that have been used to commit crime. Its main focus is organised crime, drug-related crime, serious violent crime and serious economic crime and corruption.

In 2001 he was also appointed as Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (DNDPP) and remained as head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit until August 2015. He is now responsible for the Legal Affairs Division. Mr Hofmeyr also served as head of the Special Investigating Unit from August 2001 to November 2011.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr Hofmeyr held the following positions:

Member of Parliament for the African National Congress (1994-99). During this time he held the following positions:
Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly committee that drafted the chapter on the Judiciary in the new Constitution (1994-96);
Chairperson of Constitutional Review Committee, Cape Town (1997-99);
Parliamentary Counsellor to the Deputy President (1998-99);
Assistant Secretary and Executive Member, African National Congress, Western Cape (1991-94);
Candidate Attorney at Mallinicks Attorneys, Cape Town (1989 – 1991);
Executive Member of the Western Cape United Democratic Front, (1987-91) and
Actuarial Student, Metropolitan Life (1979-84)
During his time as a Member of Parliament, Mr Hofmeyr’s main involvement was in the Justice Portfolio Committee which focused on the legislation dealing with new Constitutional structures, the establishment of the Truth Commission and the reform of the justice system to deal with crime more effectively in accordance with international human rights standards.

He was also a member of the Constitutional Committee of the Constitutional Assembly from 1994 to 1996 which negotiated settlements to the deadlocked issues regarding South Africa’s final constitution.

Mr Hofmeyr also served as co-chair of the Constitutional Assembly Committee, which dealt with the judiciary and the legal system, including the powers of the Constitutional and other courts, the appointment of judges through a Judicial Service Commission, and other mechanisms to ensure the independence of the judiciary. It also dealt with the creation of an independent national prosecuting authority.

Prior to 1990, Mr Hofmeyr was active in the liberation movement and was active in the early union movment, the United Democratic Front and the African National Congress. He was banned or restricted for over 6 years, and was detained without trial on several occassions.