The announcement was made via the South African Judiciary’s Twitter account on Thursday 15 April following the much-publicised interview sessions for the roles at the SCA and the Constitutional Court of the land this week. The JSC’s five choices for the SCA are Judges Zeenat Carelse, Trevor Gorven, Wendy Hughes, Nolwazi Mabindla Boqwana, and Selewe Mothle. Overall, 11 judges were in the running for the coveted posts. These names will now be referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

The conduct of previous SCA judges came in the spotlight this week during the Concourt interviews when former SCA Judge Rammaka Mathopo was probed regarding the alleged offensive comments made by previous SCA Justices in their various judgments against their colleagues.  

“I know of a colleague who is alleged that he did not apply his mind. That offended the colleague tremendously. It is important to know when we write the judgments, they are not for the judge concerned. Posterity will come and deal harshly with us for having written so freely and wrongly about colleagues,” says Mathopo in his answer.

The choice of Judge Wendy Hughes is interesting after members of the JSC – the bulk of whom are in the legal fraternity – criticised Hughes’ High Court judgments over her judicial reasoning and competent but not excellent use of the English language in her interview. Senior Council Advocate Griffiths Madonsela came to Hughes’ defence, saying he longs for the day when the JSC could judge the language proficiency of English speakers in IsiZulu.

OFM News previously reported that Chancellor of the Central University of Technology (CUT) and Bloemfontein native Justice, Mahube Molemela, was on Tuesday interviewed alongside Judges Mathopo, Dhaya Pillay, David Unterhalter and Bashier Vally for the Constitutional Court vacancy.

Justice Molemela  - who was at the SCA -  was born in Bloemfontein and attended Albert Moroka High School in Thaba’ Nchu before continuing her studies at the University of Fort Hare in Alice, the University of the Free State, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, and the University of Johannesburg.

She was a prosecutor at the Thaba Nchu Magistrate's Court, going on to become an arbitrator at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) between 1999 -2001. She has filled several directorships at private law firms including her own M B Molemela and Partners in Bloemfontein, as well as Smith Tabatha Buchanan Boyes. Interestingly, she was the chairperson of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality’s power utility, Centlec. The utility has long been marred by allegations of misconduct and maladministration.

OFM News