President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially appointed Dunstan Mlambo as South Africa’s new deputy chief justice.
Judge Dunstan Mlambo steps into new role as Deputy Chief Justice
This follows the departure of Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, whose term ended on Thursday, the same day the Constitutional Court held a farewell ceremony in his honour.
Judge Mlambo’s appointment takes effect immediately, starting on Friday. According to a statement from the Presidency, the decision came after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) put forward his name earlier this month.
The president also took into account the opinions of political parties represented in Parliament before finalising the appointment.
Who is Dunstan Mlambo?
Dunstan Mlambo is a senior judge in South Africa and currently serves as the Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court.
This means he has been leading the work of the High Court in Gauteng, which is one of the busiest courts in the country.
He began his judicial career in 1997 when he was appointed as an acting judge in the Labour Court.
Later that year, he was appointed permanently to the same court. Over the years, he has worked across various courts, including the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Labour Appeal Court.
In 2012, he was appointed to his current position as Judge President of the Gauteng Division.
A career rooted in justice and access to legal support
Judge Mlambo has a long record of work aimed at helping people understand and access the legal system.
From 2002 to 2019, he was Chairperson of Legal Aid South Africa, an organisation that helps people who cannot afford lawyers. He also leads the Court of Military Appeals and chairs multiple judicial committees.
He has also contributed to global discussions on justice and legal access, including at the United Nations.
Judge Mlambo chaired the expert meetings that helped draft the Nelson Mandela Rules, a set of international standards for the treatment of prisoners.
In addition, he is a founding member of various international bodies focusing on refugees and legal migration.
He also edits the official judiciary magazine and often speaks at both national and international conferences.
President Ramaphosa’s statement on the appointment
The Presidency praised the Judicial Service Commission for its “transparent, inclusive and robust” selection process.
President Ramaphosa thanked Chief Justice Mandisa Maya for the Commission’s efforts, stating that the process strengthened public trust in the country’s judiciary.
The president described the appointment as one based on “merit, fidelity to the Constitution and a vision for the continued transformation and strengthening of the judiciary.”
He also thanked Mlambo “for stepping forward to assume a new responsibility of critical national importance” and expressed hope that he would help “strengthen the rule of law, enrich jurisprudence and assert the rights of all citizens.”