Justice Nonkosi Mhlantla “I was compelled to fight and assert myself.” Justice Nonkosi Mhlantla is committed to breaking down barriers of race and gender in the legal sphere. From being the first woman judge in her hometown of Port Elizabeth and only the third in the province, to sitting on the bench of the Constitutional …
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga “The importance of emphasising freedom within our context cannot be understated. Freedom cannot be disassociated from liberation from our colonial and apartheid past. So, in order for the potential of all South Africans, black and white, to be truly realised, the social and economic structures of apartheid society must be undone.” Justice …
Justice Sisi Khampepe “Of course, black women such as myself must be given preferential access to the opportunities that were previously denied to us. This is because a culture of justification demands it.” Justice Sisi Khampepe chose a life in the law because she recognised early on how apartheid affected every part of her life. …
Justice Christopher Nyaole “Chris” Jafta “In terms of the importance of one’s role as a judge, I think the Constitutional Court rates higher than the other courts. Which brings with it much responsibility and pressure, because whatever you do in terms of deciding cases, you know that you are the last stop. If you make …
Justice Leona Valerie Theron “The Constitutional Court is an instrument and symbol of our democracy. It is the defender and protector of the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the country and binds all legislative, executive, and judicial organs of state at all levels of government.” Justice Leona Theron is known for her …
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo “‘We the people…’ I understand the phrase to talk about us – South Africans, and it is a phrase that shows in my view the centrality of the people in our Constitution. How central they are and how we should always remember that we are servants of the people.” Deputy …
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng “You know, I draw strength from my Christian principles. I believe in the leadership that focuses more on servanthood than on lording it over people.” Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has been Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa since September 2011. His longstanding commitment to fairness is evident in …
Justice Johan Froneman “Kate O’Regan said to me when I got here, if this is the kind of work that you like, it’s the best job in the world. And I like that kind of work and it is the best job in the world.” Justice Johan Froneman’s judicial career has spanned 26 years, of …
Justice Edwin Cameron “The law cannot be about injustice. The law cannot be about securing privilege and accumulating wealth only. The law has to be directed to securing justice for all people. That is what the South African Constitution promises and it’s what our history charges us to make real.” Justice Edwin Cameron served as …
Justice Sandile Ngcobo “Open justice is the principle that the doors of all the courts in the nation must be open to the public and the press … It is deeply rooted in African tradition. In African societies, justice was administered in the open in the literal sense of the word. Trials were conducted under …
President Mandela gives his State of the Nation address in Parliament. Mandela ends his address with the words, “Let us all get down to work”.
President Nelson Mandela announces his cabinet. It includes members of the African National Congress, National Party and Inkatha Freedom Party.
