President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mandisa Maya, the current deputy chief justice, as South Africa’s new Chief Justice. Her tenure will commence on September 1, succeeding Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who is retiring.
Maya held the position of President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, which is the second-highest court in South Africa, before her advancement to the Constitutional Court. She made history as the first Black woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal and was also the first female judge to serve as both Deputy President and then President of that court.
In February, Ramaphosa put forward Maya’s name for the position of Chief Justice, and she was subsequently interviewed by the Judicial Services Commission in May. The Commission endorsed her appointment, highlighting that it would represent a major milestone for the nation, as noted in Ramaphosa’s statement.
Maya, who was raised in the rural areas of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, achieved a remarkable milestone in 1989 by securing a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in law at Duke University in the United States. This accomplishment was particularly significant given the racial segregation of apartheid-era South Africa, making it an extraordinary achievement for a young Black woman of that time.
Since South Africa transitioned to democracy in 1994, ending the apartheid era, Maya will become the eighth chief justice. Notably, South Africa has had all-male chief justices since the position was established in 1910, during the country’s time as a British colony.