Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has submitted a list of four candidates for the position of South Africa’s next chief justice.
Ramaphosa submitted the names for consideration to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, President of the Supreme Court of Appeal Mandisa Maya, Gauteng Judge President Dunston Mlambo and Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga are all vying for the position at the Constitutional Court.
President @CyrilRamaphosa submits list of candidates for position of Chief Justice to Judicial Service Commission and political parties https://t.co/NQOpln6zlk
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) November 18, 2021
“In September 2021, President Ramaphosa invited public nominations for the position of Chief Justice. This was in anticipation of the discharge from active service of former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng on 11 October 2021,” the presidency said in a statement.
Mogoeng’s term came to an end last month after being at the helm for a decade.
The President appointed a panel, chaired by Judge Navanethem Pillay, to evaluate nominations made by the public and to shortlist nominees who fulfilled the advertised requirements for nomination.
“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 presidency said.
ALSO READ | Chief Justice Mogoeng hangs up his robe
According to the Daily Maverick, the Pillay Panel evaluated more than 500 candidates submitted by the public and said eight people fulfilled the requirements for nomination.
The eight were Madlanga, Maya, Mlambo and Zondo as well as Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, Dr Wallace Mqoqi, Advocate Alan Nelson SC and Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe.
Mqoqi and Mkhwebane both withdrew from the race.
This is the first time in South African history that four chief justice candidates will be interviewed by the JSC as the president usually only nominates one person, News24 reported.
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