JONATHAN Witts-Hewinson has been elected the new chairman of the National Horseracing Authority.

In a press release, the NHA said: “Witts, who is 53 years old, resides in Johannesburg and is married with two daughters.  He is an attorney by profession and practices as a director of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc., for whom he has worked since serving his articles in 1983.

“He has had an active interest in horseracing since the mid 1970s. He was previously a member of both Gosforth Park Turf Club and Turffontein Racing Club and is currently a member of the Racing Association.

“Witts became a member of The Jockey Club (as it was then known) in 1993. In February 1999 he was appointed to the local executive of the central provinces and was elected chairman of the central provinces in 2001 and served in that capacity until January 2004 when the local provincial structures were discontinued as a result of changes to the constitution of the NHA. He was also a national board director from July 2001 to December 2004 and from November 2007 onwards.”