In succeeding Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, the former appellate court president will become the first woman to head the judiciary
The deputy chief justice also called for the court to be allowed to sit in panels and for full administrative and financial independence for the judiciary
The hearing of the IEC’s appeal to the electoral court’s finding that Zuma was eligible for parliament saw a tense exchange between counsel and the bench
The former president’s legal team alleged a reasonable fear of bias but faced an uphill battle in persuading judges to recuse themselves from deciding if he is eligible for parliament
The deputy chief justice is now likely to become the first woman to head the South African judiciary
Judges Matter has asked the chief justice whether the implications of the decision have been carefully weighed