President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Justice Mandisa Maya as Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa.
Maya is the current President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. She is replacing the former Deputy Chief Justice and current Chief Justice Raymond Zondo effectively from September 1, 2022. Justice Zondo took up his position in April this year.
The Presidency in a statement on Monday said Ramaphosa made the appointment in accordance with Section 174(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
The Office of the President also said Justice Maya brings with her more than two decades in a distinguished career as a judicial officer.
Justice Maya is the first woman to hold the positions of Deputy President and President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
“Justice Maya will contribute to the ongoing transformation process of the judiciary. Her ascendancy to the apex court will serve as a beacon of hope for scores of young women that South Africa is a country of possibilities regardless of gender, social or economic circumstances,” said Ramaphosa.
Last month during her interview, Justice Maya challenged the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to recommend more women heads of court. She also said she hoped that her successor would be a woman.
Many people took to social media to congratulate Justice Maya on her appointment. Some went as far as saying she should have been Chief Justice instead of Justice Zondo.
“She’s actually the CJ we chose as the people of South Africa, not Zondo,” said Twitter- user Blue Motion.
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