JSC recommends Mandisa Maya for Chief Justice
After a week of rigorous interviews, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has come to a decision.
The committee says it will recommend Supreme Court of Appeal President Mandisa Maya for the Chief Justice position.
Maya was one of four candidates interviewed during the week, going up against some tough competition in Constitutional Court Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo and acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
All four candidates centred their campaigns on strengthening the judiciary through effective leadership, efficient administration as well as embracing innovation and court moderation.
On Saturday, the JSC spend hours deliberating behind closed doors in Sandton.
JSC spokesperson Dali Mpofu admitted it was a tough pick.
“What made our task difficult was exactly that the candidates were all of a high quality and the uniqueness of the process which was also unprecedented in so far as the president, for the first time ever, nominated more than one candidate to be interviewed by the Judicial Service Commission.”
While the JSC will file a report on the its recommendation - the final decision falls on President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The recommendation is not binding but if Ramaphosa appoints Maya, she will be the first female Chief Justice since the country’s democratic dispensation.
The process wasn’t without flaws, with some concerns from various corners on the legitimacy of the interviews which descended into chaos on the final day on interviews.
