he judiciary is an organ of state entrusted with overseeing the functions of court’s processes. It is headed by the Chief Justice who exercise a responsibility over the establishment and monitoring of norms and standards for the judicial functions.
With the former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo vacating the highest office in the judiciary as of the 1st September 2024, President CM Ramaphosa has in terms of Section 174(3) of the Constitution, appointed Justice Mandisa Maya as the Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.
The appointment of Maya is seen by others as a “golden era”, particularly because she(Maya) will serve as the first female chief justice in the Republic of South Africa.
On the other hand, Maya’s appointment sparked a public debate about the independence of the highest office in the judiciary.
Instead of the country being jubilant about the appointment of the first judicial head, many are skeptical and left to question as to whether the office is heading for a resurgence or a continued judicial miscarriage.
The period during which the judiciary was headed by the former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is described by others as the most controversial term in the judicial history.
This is solely because of the number of questionable decisions delivered by the highest court and of course, the famous Zondo commission report on State capture.
It is worth remembering that during the former President Zuma’s administration, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng was appointed over Justice Dikgang Moseneke who was tipped to occupy the highest office.
It was believed that he(Zuma) appointed Justice Mogoeng with the hope and belief that Mogoeng will sway judgments in Zuma’s favour. Little did he know that the former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng would take a chance to bite the hand that fed him. Mogoeng did so as an attempt to restore public faith, integrity and the independence of the judiciary.
With that being said, and with reference to allegations of the involvement and participation of President Cyril Ramaphosa in the state capture corruption through Glencoe, the report by the Zondo in its omission to mention the involvement of President Ramaphosa in corruption scandal’s particularly at Eskom raised an eyebrow about the independence and impartiality of the judicial head (Zondo).
This reminds me of the famous words by the former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng who said:
“There is an attempt to capture the judiciary”
With Chief Justice Maya assuming office as of the 1st September 2024, the public is eager to learn as to whether the first female Chief Justice will be a female extension of Zondo(due to Zondo being referred to as a Ramaphosa capture) or she will restore the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
One ends this short article by asking this question to the public:
Aren’t you interested in knowing the names of the judges & justices implicated in the CR17 corruption scandal?
