Acting Constitutional Court Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has thanked outgoing Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng for his decade of service as the head of the court and his commitment to the judiciary.

Chief Justice Mogoeng’s term came to an end on Monday, following ten years as the head of the Constitutional Court.

“Under his stewardship, the Judiciary, as an Arm of State, has taken strides to vigorously protect its independence and prove itself as the guardian of the Constitution. I take this opportunity to thank Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng for his excellent service to the Judiciary and to the people of South Africa.

“Through his outstanding leadership Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng greatly enhanced the standing of the Judiciary in our country. He served this country as Chief Justice during some of the most difficult times in our constitutional democracy and was able to lead the Judiciary with courage, integrity and wisdom,” Acting Chief Justice Zondo said.

He added that Chief Justice Mogoeng made stellar contributions to the respect of the rule of law through groundbreaking judgements.

“[He] also made a huge contribution to our jurisprudence and wrote some of the most important judgments that have helped to strengthen and promote the rule of law, the supremacy of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

“In this regard, the people of South Africa will not forget his judgment in the Nkandla matter, his secret ballot judgment in regard to the vote of no confidence in Parliament and his SARS judgment on racism and many others. It has been said that the Chief Justice’s judgment in the Nkandla matter provided a turning point on accountability and the fight against corruption in this country,” Acting Chief Justice Zondo said.

He thanked Chief Justice Mogoeng for his dedication to the judiciary over the past decade.

“We thank the Chief Justice for leading the Judiciary with distinction, for his humility and for his integrity. We thank him for his outstanding service to the people of this country. We thank his wife and family for giving him strong support during his term of office and for allowing him to devote as much time as he did to the service of the nation,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency