[MEDIA STATEMENT] Judges Matter welcomes Deputy Chief Justice Mlambo’s appointment

JUDGES MATTER WELCOMES DEPUTY CHIEF JUSTICE MLAMBO’S APPOINTMENT, FORGES TO WORK WITH HIM AND HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE

1 August 2025

Judges Matter welcomes the appointment of Judge President Dunstan Mlambo as Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, with effect from 1 August 2025.

Having served as a judge for 28 years (since 1997), including serving more than 15 years in judicial leadership as Judge President, Mlambo comes into the role with a wealth of experience in the judiciary, particularly at the strategic leadership level.

We hope that Mlambo will be able to leverage this experience to assist Chief Justice Mandisa Maya in leading the judiciary through a groundbreaking transition that will lead to more institutional independence for the judiciary.

A few weeks ago, on 20 June 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the government’s intention to affirm the judiciary’s independence through the executive relinquishing control over the operations of the judiciary, including budgeting, staffing, and other resources.

He said:

“The judiciary will have the money, and they will be in control, just as Parliament is in control of its own budget. They will be able to embark on infrastructure projects, administrative capability training and all this without having to always go and ask for permission from the Minister of Justice.”

Delivering the departmental budget vote in Parliament on 1 July 2025, Minister of Justice Mamoloko Kubayi announced that in the 2025/26 financial year, the ministry will implement the proposed institutional model for a fully-fledged independent Judiciary.

She said:

“In terms of the proposed model, the Chief Justice will become the Executive Authority of the Office of the Chief Justice. The Secretary General will be the accounting authority of the Judiciary. The OCJ will then be re-established outside the public service and be capacitated to appoint its staff in line with its own prescripts, human resource framework tailored to judicial operations and principles of independence.”

The upshot of these announcements means that the weight of responsibility on both Chief Justice Maya and, now, Deputy Chief Mlambo has increased enormously. They now have to do the work necessary to establish the judiciary as a fully-fledged arm of state. They will have to set up the necessary governance systems to ensure the judiciary delivers justice efficiently and effectively.

The latest Reserved Judgment Report shows that justice still moves too slowly in our courts. Over 1 200 judgments have been outstanding for six months or more. Research published by our colleagues Nurina Ally and Leo Boonzaier at the University of Cape Town shows that the Constitutional Court’s efficiency is also a problem. These are the challenges Mlambo will also need to address.

In his interview for DCJ, Mlambo lamented the ‘toxic attacks’ by powerful people against the judiciary, which also threaten the rule of law. As someone who has personally faced and repelled such attacks during his tenure as Judge President of the North Gauteng High Court, we hope that Mlambo will draw on this experience to insulate the judiciary against such attacks and maintain public trust in the judiciary.

…we look forward to collaborating with both Chief Justice Maya, new Deputy Chief Justice Mlambo, and the entire judiciary.  We will also hold them accountable to their task.

While Judges Matter is an independent, research-based organisation based at the University of Cape Town, we look forward to collaborating with both Chief Justice Maya, new Deputy Chief Justice Mlambo, and the entire judiciary.  We will also hold them accountable to their task. This is in line with our mission to see high-quality judges appointed, that they are held to the highest standards of judicial ethics, and that the governance of the judiciary ensures efficient and effective justice.

ENDS