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The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes the appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya as Chief Justice of the South African judiciary, the first ever woman Chief Justice in South Africa. The appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa marks an incredible milestone as Justice Maya is the first woman in South Africa to be appointed as Chief Justice. 

As the new head of the judiciary, Justice Maya assumes the responsibility over the establishment and monitoring of norms and standards for the exercise of the judicial functions of all courts, as per the Constitution. In line with this responsibility, she has the duty to ensure access to justice for all South Africans, and, in that regard, cognisant of the practical hurdles which prevent the majority of our people – the working class and poor, the most affected being women – from accessing the courts and justice. 

In particular, the SACP is deeply concerned about the ongoing problem of class discrimination and exclusion. In the current reality, access to or control of income or capital determines a person’s or organisation’s access to legal services from the legal fraternity and to the courts – institutions that are entrusted with the mandate to deliver justice for all. The judiciary must address this injustice, as access to justice cannot be a preserve of a few based on their income or class position.

In taking the judicial transformation agenda forward, the SACP will continue to engage in campaigns to ensure that we rid our country of the legacy of colonialism, apartheid and capitalist marginalisation of the working class emanating from the economy, especially the mode of distribution of production income. Part of this struggle is our fight against corruption in our courts which has led to the illegal eviction of poor people by property developers, wealthy landlords and banks, with women and children the worst impacted, with the acquiescence of court officials.

Issued by the South African Communist Party