As seen in the newspaper, Sputnik, President Cyril Ramaphosa recently named Mandisa Maya as South Africa’s Chief Justice, the first woman to hold the position in the country’s history.
She is still currently serving as the Deputy Chief Justice, but will assume her new role by September 1st, succeeding Raymond Zondo whose term will end the day before.
This appointment followed negotiations with the Judicial Service Commission, which nominated Maya for the job due to its historical significance, according to the president.
Born on the 20th of March 1964, this South African political powerhouse has served as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge of the high court, and is currently incumbent Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga.
She had studied labor law, alternative dispute resolution, and constitutional law at Duke University School of Law on a Fulbright Scholarship in North Carolina, USA, after which she served as an assistant state law adviser in Mthatha from 1991 to 1993, after her return to South Africa, during which, according to Wikipedia, she also worked as a part-time lecturer in law at the University of Transkei.
Prior to this new appointment as the first female Chief Justice, she was also the first woman to serve as deputy president and then president of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
