The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is expected to hold public interviews for the position of Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court from today.

The interviews are expected to be held over the next four days by the commission led by Acting President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Justice Xola Petse.

The position became vacant following the retirement of former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in October following ten years at the helm of the apex court.

The four candidates vying for the position as the head of the judiciary are expected to be interviewed in this order:

• Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga will be interviewed first on Tuesday,
• President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge Mandisa Maya will follow on Wednesday,
• Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Justice Dunston Mlambo, will be next on Thursday and,
• Deputy Chief Justice and current acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s interview will be on Friday.

Following the interviews, the commission will then be expected to enter deliberations on Saturday.

The process for the nomination of a new Chief Justice kicked off in September last year when President Cyril Ramaphosa took the unprecedented step of inviting public nominations for the position.

A panel then whittled down the nominations to about eight names which were handed to the President.

In November, President Ramaphosa then handed over the four names for consideration to the JSC and political parties.

The JSC is expected to compile a report on proceedings following the interviews and hand it over to the President.

Proceedings of the interviews can be followed live on the Judiciary RSA YouTube channel.

Source: South African Government News Agency