The man who presided over the State Capture Inquiry is now South Africa’s Chief Justice – Image: GCIS/ Flickr
ANC welcomes Zondo’s appointment as Chief Justice
The ANC says it is confident that under ACJ Raymond Zondo’s leadership, the judiciary will continue to assert its independence
The man who presided over the State Capture Inquiry is now South Africa’s Chief Justice – Image: GCIS/ Flickr
The African National Congress (ANC) has joined a number of political parties who have welcomed the appointment of Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as the new Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
The likes of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) have similarly given Zondo their nod of approval, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have rejected it, deeming it as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempt to capture the judiciary.
Ramaphosa’s office announced that Zondo had been picked to preside over the Constitutional Court, taking over the reins from Mogoeng Mogoeng, who retired in October 2021. Zondo was one of four people who had been vying for the top post, and had been acting Chief Justice while the process to find a replacement for underway.
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THE ANC ON RAYMOND ZONDO’S APPOINTMENT
In a statement, the ANC praises Ramaphosa for being transparent in the process to appoint the country’s new Chief Justice. The post was left vacant after Mogoeng Mogoeng retired in October.
“Furthermore, we support the rigorous and principled approach taken by the President in adhering to theprovisionsofthe Constitution that outline the respective powers and roles of the President, the Judicial Service Commission, andleaders of parties in the National Assembly in the appointment of the Chief Justice,” said spokesperson Pule Mabe.
The ANC says it is confident that under Zondo’s leadership, the judiciary will continue to assert its independence and give a progressive interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution championing the rights of all SouthAfricansandensuring equal access to justice
“We reiterate our conviction that the judiciary and institutions charged with promoting and protectingdemocracyshould be strengthened and continually transformed more effectively to discharge their constitutional duties. Theyshould be respected and supported as a necessary component of a humane society based on the ruleof law. The transformation of the judiciary must be intensified, in terms of content of judicial education intertiaryandspecialised institutions and demographic composition of the judicial officer corps”
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe
