Media Statement — ANC election campaign poster using the image of the Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, Madam Justice Mandisa Maya

18 November 2023

Note: Please attribute this statement solely to the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) as Government Department and not the Chief Justice or Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa or the Judiciary.

It has been brought to the attention of the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) that there is a purported African National Congress (ANC) election campaign poster circulating on social media bearing the image of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya. According to the image of the poster in possession of the OCJ, the poster appears to have been posted on the ANC's X page under the handle @MYANC.

The OCJ wishes to inform the public that this inappropriate use of the Deputy Chief Justice's image in an election campaign poster was not authorised by Deputy Chief Justice Maya or the OCJ. For the record, Deputy Chief Justice Maya is not a member of the ANC or any other political party. Article 12(1)(a) of the Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits Judges from belonging any political party.

This unauthorised use of the Deputy Chief Justice's image has the potential to unduly bring the Judiciary into disrepute as well undermining the integrity of the Judiciary as section 165(2) of the Constitution provides that the courts are independent and subject only to the Constitution and the law, which they must apply without fear, favour or prejudice.

It is expected that those responsible for this unauthorised use of the Deputy Chief Justice's image, immediately desist and remove it from all online platforms where it has been published, and to publicly and unreservedly apologise to the Deputy Chief Justice for this unfortunate incident.