Johannesburg –
Zondo says he doesn’t think they place any facts to support what they say when they accuse him of being pro-Ramaphosa. He says he is not pro or anti-anybody. He refers to his decision that CR must appear before the #statecaptureinquiry @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Singh refers to some other objections against Zondo nomination. Some objections accuse Zondo of Zuma-bias. He refers to an objection by former spy-boss Arthur Fraser @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo says in this time, he can also make a number of contributions in terms of transformation. He adds that there is also a good reason why the President’s term in office is 5 yrs. He says you don’t want a Pres for too long without seeing progress @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo goes on to say that a number of things he wants to deal with are things that don’t need many years to achieve, incl. dilapidated state of courts. @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo says former CJ Sandile Ngcobo had less time and he was able to implement and see through a big and important part of his vision, incl getting former Pres Zuma to agree to establish the OCJ as a national department @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Singh goes on to say there are many elephants in this room. One is concerns if Zondo is able to implement all his visionary plan with the short time he has in the ConCourt @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
WATCH LIVE FEED HERE
Zondo says after appointed as state capture inquiry Chair, former CJ Mogoeng consulted him on lots of leadership matters and allowed him to not really sit in many court matters to allow him to balance his duties with the inquiry and courts @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo responds to Tlaletsi’s question of whether the DCJ should be part of the heads of court. He says he was part of the heads of court close to 11 yrs when part of labour court. He says DCJ should be part of heads of court and he would invite that if appointed CJ @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Lamola asks how would Zondo deal with issues of misconduct of colleagues who he knows very well? @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Justice Minister Lamola asks how would Zondo rollout the modernisation and digitalisation of courts if apppointed.
Zondo says he may not be very good with IT but embraces it wholeheartedly and would want to see it rolled out across all SA courts asap @IOL— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
#ChiefJusticeInterviews has resumed.
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
#ChiefJusticeInterviews has adjourned for tea. Chair Petse has noted 18 JSC Commissioners who are ready to ask Zondo questions after the tea break. Zondo jokes that it is “intimidating” @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo has concluded his 30 mins presentation. Chair Petse has now opened the floor to the JSC commissioners to ask Zondo questions @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo speaking about the appointment of more females. He says he recommended Justice Khampepe as acting DCJ. Says he wants to make his contribution in transformation by getting black and female judges in involved in spaces that used to be exclusive to whites and males @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo says he would retain such structures and rather make a contribution to make them work better @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
He says there are committee’s in all provinces whose main task is to identify anything that negatively impacts the courts and can take action in addressing the issues. JP’s informed Zondo that overall these committees work well @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
He says if appointed, he would not want to start anything “all over”. Says he has been a member of judiciary for long, knows of the measures in place. Says former CJ Mogoeng put in structures to enhance the courts efficiency which was embraced @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Video: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)
if appointed, he says, one of the issues he would want to deal with early in his term is to complete the institutional model for the administration of the courts @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondonsays CJ should be someone of integrity, has demonstrable track record as a judge and should be someone who is able to work with people and appreciate the contribution of other leaders in the judiciary, CJ must make contribution to jurisprudence of SA @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo will now be given 30mins to make his case on why he should be the next Chief Justice. Here he will share his vision for the Judiciary and how he would implement if appointed @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo is asked about his participation in the 1st judges conference & the decision that it would happen every 5 yrs. Zondo says that there were budgetary constraints. He says q’s arose as to why they couldn’t go to Plan B and ask heads of court to gather views and share @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Chair Petse talks to some of Zondo’s ConCourt judgments that he penned. Petse says he himself read and quoted in his own judgments. He says they all bear the hallmarks of “intellectual vigour” etc @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo is currently talking about his Labour Appeal Court ruling in the Nehawu vs UCT case.
Zondo has been talking about some of proudest judgments that “stood the test of time”, as he describes it @IOL— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
He has just a little over two and half years in active service left before the end of his term of office in the ConCourt.
Zondo shares that he received an award from a KZN organisation of legal lawyers recognising his significant contribution in human rights @IOL— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Going through his particulars, Zondo confirms he is married with eight children. He holds 5 degrees acquired between ’93 and 2012. He was appointed as a judge at age 37 and has been in active service as a judge for 25 years – which he celebrated a few days ago @IOL
— Kailene Pillay (@kailenepillay) February 4, 2022
Zondo, who held the title of Deputy Chief Justice, started acting in main role last year when former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng took a leave of absence and subsequently retired in October.
He is no stranger to the media limelight as he is the outgoing Chairperson of the highly publicised Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
It was earlier this week that he released the second portion to his highly anticipated report.
Zondo is no stranger to South African politics when he took a decision to call a media briefing to respond to Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s remarks on the judiciary in a published article.
WATCH LIVE FEED HERE
Zondo said the article was rich in insults and poor in substance because it did not refer or speak to the issue warranting the attack on the judiciary.
“There is no analysis of anything in that article. It is just accusations and insults of the judiciary, ” he said.
This surprise move for a judge to call a media briefing to respond to remarks made in the political arena hardly ever happens and will surely be a hot topic for the JSC Commissioners to question him on during his interview.
Zondo, who is now 61 years old, is also expected to face some tough questions and attitudes from some Commissioners since holding the fort at the State Capture Inquiry.
Zondo’s lengthy legal career shows that he served in various courts, the Labour and Supreme Court of Appeal.
He was also part of a task team that developed the draft legislation on labour relations for post-apartheid South Africa in 1994.
This saw the passing of the Labour Relations Act of 1995.
He became a Constitutional Court Justice in August 2012 and was later appointed Deputy Chief Justice in June 2017.
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Political Bureau