[Has the link finally been found ?]

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki has ratified the appointment of Shauket Fakie as auditor general, making him the first black person to hold the post.

Fakie, 46, who has been deputy auditor general and chief executive officer since March last year, has been appointed for a seven-year term, the auditor general's office announced on Tuesday.

He succeeds Henri Kluever, who retired at the beginning of December.

Fakie's nomination was approved by the National Assembly last month after interviews by a special committee of MPs.

He qualified as a chartered accountant in South Africa in 1986, worked in Australia for several years, and was appointed provincial auditor for Gauteng in November 1995.

Fakie is an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants in Southern Africa.

Fakie is expected to outline his vision for the office at a media briefing on December 14.

With acknowledgements to The Mail & Guardian