The court ruling on Tuesday effectively nullified the PIC board’s decision to suspend the CEO of the embattled asset manager amid allegations of impropriety detailed in a whistleblower report submitted earlier this year. Section 6 of the Public Investment Corporation Act provides that the minister of finance, in consultation with cabinet, appoints the CEO. Disagreements over governance at the R3.6 trillion asset manager ultimately led to the resignation of the entire board, with a new one appointed last week. In its attempt to be added as an intervening party in the legal challenge, Public Interest South Africa argued that the PIC board derived its authority to suspend Dlamini from the organisation’s whistleblower policy. The PIC board was ordered to pay Dlamini’s legal costs.