Cape Town — Deputy Chief Justice, Mandisa Maya, sat in the hot seat in front of the Judicial Service Commission on Tuesday and said the need for independent and impartial judiciary is greater than ever.
Mandisa was personally nominated by president Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed outgoing Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, who will vacate his position on 31 August 2024. He said Maya is someone who would contribute to the ongoing process of transformation in the Judiciary.
Maya was the sole candidate to be interviewed on Tuesday and was questioned extensively on her vision for the future of the country’s judiciary. Maya emphasised the need for the judiciary to be stronger than ever, EWN reported.
“Our country has suffered a lot of upheavals in recent times and faces many serious challenges, so the need for an impartial, independent, effective, accountable, responsive and cohesive judiciary has never been greater.” she said.
[WATCH] Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya talks about the hurdles confronting judges in South Africa. She mentions inadequate safety measures in courts and substandard employment conditions as pressing issues requiring attention.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/36zQb33HJt
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 21, 2024
She also explained that, if she were elected to the role of Chief Justice, she would not underestimate the enormity of the role.
“If I’m appointed for this position, I know that I will bear the enormous responsibility of ensuring the institution remains strong, retains its integrity and firmly executes its role of protecting and promoting the Constitution and the law so that our country, especially the poor and most vulnerable members of our society, are guaranteed access to justice.” she added.
According to IOL, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, further asked Maya how she plans to handle the judiciary’s shrinking budget to which she responded that the judiciary must account to Parliament for its budget.
Maya said in response that certain departments should not be excluded from budget cuts and that the Chief Justice was not onformed of any budget cuts that impacted courts.
Maya said if there had been consultation, the judiciary could have been excluded from the cuts that have in turn damaged court operations.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
