Judge Mandisa Maya with her extensive list of accolades in SA’s justice system has just made history by being announced as South Africa’s first female chief justice. Judge Mandisa Maya is set to take office as of 1 September 2024. She will be succeeding the renowned Chief Justice Raymond Zondo whose term of office expires on 31 August 2024. Here’s everything we know about Judge Maya.
Born in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, the former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa is a wife and mother to three kids. Her journey began when she went to study her BProc at the University of Transkei in 1986. The BProc degree is a phased-out four-year undergraduate degree predominantly offered at historically black universities. She then went on to study for her LLB – the official Bachelor of Laws degree required by all attorneys in South Africa – in 1988 at the University of Natal. In 1990, she then went to North Carolina to study for her Master of Laws.
What is the role of the Chief Justice in SA?
The Chief Justice of South Africa is the most senior judge of the Constitutional Court and is the head of the judiciary of South Africa. Her role will be to exercise final authority over the functioning and management of all the courts in the land.
WATCH the Commission for gender equality’s chairperson, Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale talk to eNCA about Judge Mandisa Maya’s appointment:
Judge Mandisa Maya’s accolades:
- She won a Fulbright Scholarship in 1989 for her Master’s in law at Duke University in the United States. As this took place during Apartheid, this was incredibly rare.
- She was the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President and President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the second-highest court in South Africa.
- She was the first black woman to be appointed judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal
- She has international credentials as she served as an acting judge in Namibia and Lesotho.
- She is the vice president of the International Association of Women Judges
- She is the founding member and president of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges
- She was an advisory board member of the Yearbook of South African Law
- She was an advisory board member of the South African Law Journal
- She was a board member of the National Bar Examinations Board
- She was the Chairperson of the South African Law Reform Commission
- She was a member of the Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Commissions
Judge Mandisa Maya’s appointment will truly be a milestone for transformation in the judiciary. As we can see, Judge Mandisa Maya is more than qualified for this role, just based on her accolades and her role as Deputy Chief Justice in the period leading up to her nomination by the President prepared her for this role.
Congratulations, Judge Mandisa Maya. We look forward to witnessing the impact of your appointment!
ALSO SEE:
The first woman to referee a South African rugby test: Hollie Davidson
Feature image: Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Alon Skuy
