Women-majority for ConCourt hailed

South Africa's Constitutional Court has become one of only four apex courts globally with a women-majority Bench following President Cyril Ramaphosa's appointment of Justices Nambitha Dambuza-Mayosi and Kate Savage, effective 1 May. ‘Judge Dambuza-Mayosi and Judge Savage have for decades served the cause and practice of justice with great diligence, foresight and, most importantly, clear commitment to our Constitution,’ said Ramaphosa. News24 reports that Judges Matter research and advocacy officer Mbekezeli Benjamin said the historic appointment of two more women to SA’s apex court ‘is welcome news as we celebrate 70 years of the Women’s March’. ‘Both Justice Dambuza and Justice Savage will add valuable experience to the Constitutional Court, and we hope that it will address our deep concerns about the declining performance of our apex court.’ Dambuza-Mayosi brings 21 years of judicial experience, having served on the SCA since 2015 and previously on the Eastern Cape High Court. Savage, a labour law expert, has served on the Western Cape High Court since 2015 and the Labour Appeal Court since 2024. Both justices hold advanced legal qualifications. While Judges Matter welcomed the appointments, Benjamin raised concerns about the 184-day delay in finalising them, the longest in democratic SA’s history. ‘We call on the President to explain the causes of the delay and outline steps to prevent future delays,’ he said. He also highlighted broader issues affecting the Constitutional Court, including its declining performance. The court had taken an average of 214 days to deliver judgments in 2024, compared to 102 days in 2010. The backlog is attributed to a tripling of its workload, from 120 cases in 2010 to more than 375 in 2024, coupled with stagnant or declining resources. Benjamin emphasised the need for urgent interventions to address these challenges.