Justice Maya was appointed as the Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) of the Constitutional Court in June after she failed to make the cut for the position of Chief Justice.

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The appointment of Maya to deputise Justice Zondo comes into effect on 1 September 2022, which is today. Her appointment comes after serious criticism levelled against president Cyril Ramaphosa after he ignored and overlooked a recommendation by panellists of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which then recommended that Justice Maya should replace former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

President Ramaphosa also said previously that the appointment of Justice Maya was in accordance with the Constitution and added that Maya has more than two decades of experience after a distinguished career as a judicial officer.

Apart from Justice Maya being the first woman to hold the position of the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, this appointment also makes her the first woman to be appointed as the Deputy Chief Justice in the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

“Justice Maya will contribute to the ongoing transformation process of the judiciary. Her ascendency to the apex court will serve as a beacon of hope for scores of young women and make them believe that South Africa is a country of possibilities, regardless of gender, social or economic circumstances,” Ramaphosa added.

Her ascension to one of the respectful positions of the constitutional court comes as the country had just concluded the commemoration of Women’s Month in August by looking at the achievements of women and also the plight they face either in society, among others.

Whilst delivering a keynote address at the Women’s Month commemoration in August, President Ramaphosa said the country will hold the second Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide in November.

“We gather here today to mark Women’s Day, deeply aware of the many challenges that the women of South Africa confront every day. We gather here knowing that poverty, discrimination, and violence continue to hold back the progress of the country’s women and girls. But we also gather here to celebrate the achievements of many South African women, from all parts of the country, from all walks of life, who have overcome many obstacles to excel in their chosen fields. We gather here to say that we will spare no effort to build a non-sexist society in which men and women have equal opportunities and prospects. The women who marched on the Union Buildings 66 years ago demonstrated the power and resolve of the women of South Africa,” President Ramaphosa said.

ALSO READ - President Cyril Ramaphosa's speech: Women's Day 2022

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