Walter Sisulu University alumnus Justice Mandisa Maya (57), the president of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, and Justice of the Constitutional Court Mbuyiseli Russel Madlanga (59), are amongst the five candidates competing for the Chief Justice position in South Africa.
Justice Maya began her legal career when she obtained her B.Proc degree at WSU in the 1980s and in 2019 the university awarded her a Doctor of Laws degree (Honoris Causa). During her term as permanent judge from 2000, Maya wrote her first appeal court judgement in isiXhosa. Justice Madlanga also began his career after he obtained his BJuris degree at WSU in 1981.
During his years of learning at WSU, Madlanga born from Mount Frere at Njijini village was awarded the Juta Prize for being best law student. After graduating, he lectured part-time within the WSU faculty of Human Social Sciences and Law, as he was fulfilling his contractual obligations under a government bursary that had funded his LLB studies.
He later gave back to the university by lecturing full-time for a period of two years before he proceeded to do an LLM at the University of Notre Dame in the United States of America. Madlanga is the last person appointed directly to the Constitutional Court from the bar.
On 1 July 2021, Maya succeeded SA President Cyril Ramaphosa who has been the Chancellor of the university of Mpumalanga since 2016. Her nomination to serve as the Chancellor of the university was approved at a special meeting of the university’s council held on 29 June 2021.
This Tsolo born leader is also the current president of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges and became the first woman in South Africa to occupy the position as the president of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
When honoured by WSU in 2019, Dr Maya said: “I have received many accolades from many institutions, but this one makes me shed tears of joy. It is closest to my heart.
Preparing for today has been a grand event in my head, a sweet, sentimental trip down memory lane. When I sat down to think about what I would say to you a flood of memories and emotions washed over me. My reflections took me back to the university’s early days, its humble beginnings as the former University of Transkei [Unitra] and its odyssey over the years.”
‘’The nomination of these candidates for the position of this stature has proven the quality of the university’s law degree. This is going to allow our WSU and Law Clinic to be highly recognised as it produces such product of high calibre,” echoed Songca.
The achievement in their public work environment and progress in their judiciary roles, maybe hard to explain but fulfilling to note, as they are amongst the leading candidates nominated to form the best leading quartet in South Africa, with the likes of Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and Judge President of Gauteng, Dunstan Mlambo.
WSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca, said, “The selection of not one but two of our former students is a movement of great pride and fulfilment. Both candidates have been playing a pivotal role in the institution using their influential roles to partner in many projects of the university.”
Songca further added that the university sees this shortlisting as a victory on its own, and wished them luck for the public interviews.
WSU rallies behind these intellectuals and patiently await the outcome of the selection in the next interview process with zeal. The nomination alone is an accolade on its own even when none or one of them does not get the position,’’ concluded Songca.
By Anita Roji