Oliver Meth
South Africa has a new chief justice of the Constitutional Court.
Raymond Zondo’s appointment as the new chief justice has been widely welcomed. He officially takes up the Constitutional Court position next month.
Zondo succeeds Mogoeng Mogoeng, whose term of office ended in October 2021.
Judicial monitoring group, Judges Matter’s Alison Tilley said, “It is a good decision and all four of the candidates were highly qualified. Mr Zondo comes to the positions with a lot of experience.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement on Thursday, exercising his discretion after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended Supreme Court of Appeal president Mandisa Maya for the post.
Ramaphosa indicated that he would nominate Maya for the position of deputy, something that satisfies Tilley.
“We are very pleased with that decision because it will not only bring Justice Maya’s experience and her many years in the SCA to the Constitutional Court, but it will also add to the number of women in the Constitutional Court,” Tilley said.
Corruption Watch’s executive director, Karam Singh, said that Zondo’s appointment was just what the country needed.
“Having occupied the position of deputy since 2017 and having served as a sitting judge of the ConCourt since 2012, Raymond Zondo comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge as a manager within the judicial system.”
“While the country may have been ready to see a woman at the helm of such a key institution, the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya is a positive move towards the development of existing talent and expertise to allow us to achieve this goal in the near future,” Singh said.
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