A good week for Mandisa Maya
South Africa’s next chief justice is a remarkable woman who overcame obstacles her male counterparts never had to face
A good week for Mandisa Maya
The appointment of a chief justice is always important, but the imminent announcement of a woman to head the South African judiciary is an especially big deal. Last week the Judicial Service Commission recommended that deputy chief justice Mandisa Maya succeed chief justice Raymond Zondo, paving the way for her to become the first woman to hold the position when President Cyril Ramaphosa officially makes the appointment. Maya’s rise in her profession is remarkable and she had to overcome obstacles her male counterparts never faced, among them sheer misogyny.
A bad week for Cyril Ramaphosa
Just a few days before the election, President Cyril Ramaphosa shamelessly took to the national airwaves to campaign for votes. The freedom of the SABC was granted to one party while being denied to others, such as the broadcaster’s refusal to carry an opposition advert (for which it was subsequently fined R500,000). Ramaphosa, after some fig leaf “security concerns” as justification for his appearance, launched into full campaign mode, punting his party. It was yet another sign of the ANC’s pure desperation.