Seven candidates in the running for chief justice are expected to respond to hundreds of submissions on their suitability, now that the panel advising the president has received public input.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s advisory panel on the appointment of the next chief justice received more than 500 public comments on the long list.
According to a statement from Ramaphosa’s office issued on Monday, the six-person panel tasked with shortlisting between three to five candidates by the end of the month received 564 public comments about those long listed.
“Submissions vary greatly in substance and volume,” said acting spokesperson Tyrone Seale.
“The panel will now give each nominee an opportunity to comment on the public submissions made in respect of his or her nomination,” said the panel’s chair Navi Pillay.
Ramaphosa has adopted a new approach to choosing who should run SA’s courts. The constitution empowers the president to select the chief justice, then consult with political party leaders and refer the candidate to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for interview.
In mid-September — weeks before former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s retirement after a full term — Ramaphosa announced an advisory panel and called for public nominations. About 25 names, said Seale in a statement, emerged from that process of which eight met the panel’s criteria. Among them was Wallace Mgoqi, chair of AYO Technology Solutions, who soon withdrew his nomination.
The advisory panel must soon weigh up who to pick from the seven remaining: acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, apex court justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, appeals court president Mandisa Maya, Gauteng judge president Dunstan Mlambo, Western Cape judge president John Hlophe, and senior advocate Alan Nelson.
Once these runners have filed their responses, the panel — including justice minister Ronald Lamola, former justice minister Jeff Radebe, former public protector Thuli Madonsela, and law professor Ziyad Motala — will scrutinise each candidate.
It must send between three and five names to Ramaphosa for his own consideration “by no later” than October 29. Thereafter, party leaders in parliament will weigh in and the JSC will hear who will be SA’s fifth chief justice.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.