Raymond Zondo Tackles New Appointment As SA’s Acting Chief Justice
- Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa and the chairperson of the State Capture Inquiry Raymond Zondo has been appointed as the new Acting Chief Justice
- Zondo assumes the role on the Constitutional Court bench after Judge Sisi Khampepe vacated the position on 30 June
- Zondo will hold the fort in the acting position while Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng remains on a leave of absence
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The State Capture Inquiry's chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has been unveiled as the new Acting Chief Justice of South Africa's apex court.
This follows a recent announcement by the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ). Reports have told that the switch is due to Judge Sisi Khampepe's appointment as the Acting Chief Justice coming to an end on 30 June.
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Khampepe delivered a resounding Constitutional Court judgement against the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, on Tuesday, 29 June, and one of the most important in the history of the court.
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On the change of personnel, the judiciary said in a statement:
"As the Chief Justice [Mogoeng Mogoeng] is still on long leave, as made known on 6 May 2021, and by application of the relevant legislation — namely section 4(2)(b) of the Superior Courts Act — the Deputy Chief Justice will exercise the powers or perform the functions of the Chief Justice as the Acting Chief Justice."
Per a report by TimesLIVE, Zondo had in recent months been unable to take on the position because of his role as chairperson of the Zondo Commission.
"The work of the commission has, despite the extension, reached a stage that the deputy chief justice will be in a position to fulfil his responsibilities as acting chief justice while attending to the finalisation of the inquiry’s work," added the judiciary.
Mogoeng’s request for long leave has left a large vacuum of speculation as some quarters are of the impression the Chief Justice may be on the cusp of hanging up his judge's robe.
The end date to his leave of absence has not been indicated with his term of office coming to an end in October. The three-and-a-half-month leave to which he is entitled would, however, end after the end of his term of office date.
Staunch Zuma backer Andile Lungisa vows shutdown if arrest is made
An outpouring of support has trailed Zuma since the former president learnt of his fate on Tuesday.
The former African National Congress (ANC) councillor in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) metropolitan, Andile Lungisa, is making the radical call for a nationwide shutdown in support of the embattled Zuma.
Lungisa, much like all other allies and supporters of Zuma, has slammed the country's judiciary citing judges were not doing their job. Briefly News carried the recent report that the former councillor further accused them of becoming "political activists".
Zuma was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to a 15-month prison term. He was given five days from the time the judgement was passed – which expires on Sunday – to hand himself over to authorities, either in Nkandla or Johannesburg.
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Source: Briefly News
