On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially appointed Deputy Chief Justice and chair of the state capture inquiry Raymond Zondo as the country’s new chief justice.
“I have every confidence that Justice Zondo will acquit himself with distinction in this position,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
After a lengthy process, Raymond Zondo comes out on top
In the statement released, the Presidency explains that Ramaphosa has made the decision following consultation with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as well as leaders of parties in the National Assembly.
“In terms of the Constitution, the Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary and exercises responsibility over the establishment and monitoring of norms and standards for the exercise of the judicial functions of all courts,” the statement read.
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA APPOINTS JUSTICE ZONDO AS CHIEF JUSTICE
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) March 10, 2022
President @CyrilRamaphosa has in accordance with Section 174(3) of the Constitution, decided to appoint Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the next Chief Justice of South Africa with effect from 1 April 2022. pic.twitter.com/6OcDFL7hbT
Mandisa Maya nominated as deputy chief justice
After interviewing each one of the four candidates, the JSC recommended Justice Mandisa Maya for the position of chief justice. However, President Ramphosa had the deciding vote and revealed that she would be deputy chief justice instead.
“With Justice Zondo assuming the position of chief justice, the position of deputy chief justice will become vacant. President Ramaphosa has accordingly indicated his intention, once the new chief justice assumes office, to nominate Justice Mandisa Maya for the position of deputy chief justice. This nomination will be subject to the process outlined in Section 174(3) of the Constitution,” the statement added.
