ANC statement welcoming the appointment of Justice Raymond Zondo as Chief Justice

11 March 2022

The African National Congress welcomes the appointment of the Justice Raymond Zondo, the current Deputy Chief Justice, as the next Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa with effect from 1 April 2022.

The ANC further welcomes the indication by President Cyril Ramaphosa that he intends to nominate Justice Mandisa Maya for the position of Deputy Chief Justice once a vacancy arises in the position.

We commend the President for the open, inclusive and transparent process that he followed in making nominations for the position of Chief Justice to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Allowing the public to nominate and comment on nominees has contributed to the deepening of our constitutional democracy, giving meaning and content to the injunction that: "The People Shall Govern!"

Furthermore, we support the rigorous and principled approach taken by the President in adhering to the provisions of the Constitution that outline the respective powers and roles of the President, the Judicial Service Commission, and leaders of parties in the National Assembly in the appointment of the Chief Justice.

In terms of Section 174 (3) of the Constitution: "The President as head of the national executive, after consulting the Judicial Service Commission and the leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly, appoints the Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice and, after consulting the Judicial Service Commission, appoints the President and Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal."

We believe that the position of Chief Justice plays a crucial role in our constitutional democracy.

We are confident that under the leadership of Justice Zondo, the judiciary will continue to assert its independence and give a progressive interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution championing the rights of all South Africans and ensuring equal access to justice.

We reiterate our conviction that the judiciary and institutions charged with promoting and protecting democracy should be strengthened and continually transformed more effectively to discharge their constitutional duties. They should be respected and supported as a necessary component of a humane society based on the rule of law.

The transformation of the judiciary must be intensified, in terms of content of judicial education in tertiary and specialised institutions and demographic composition of the judicial officer corps.

Issued by Pule Mabe, National Spokesperson, ANC, 11 March 2022