Justices Nambitha Christabel Dambuza-Mayosi and Katharine Mary Savage appointed to Constitutional Court of South Africa

South Africa’s highest court is set to have a full complement of permanent judges for the first time since 2016, following today’s announcement that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Justices Christable Dambuza-Mayosi and Katharine Mary Savage to the Constitutional Court of South Africa, with effect from 1 May 2026.

“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 the President, in an official statement. “They join the Constitutional Court in the year in which we mark 30 years since the adoption of our democratic Constitution. This anniversary is a significant moment for our nation and serves as an inspiration for our Constitutional Court to sustain the entrenchment of our national values and the supreme law that underpins them.”

As directed by South Africa’s Constitution, President Ramaphosa made the appointments - which will make South Africa’s highest court one of few apex courts worldwide to have a female majority - after consultation with Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly.

Justice Dambuza-Mayosi currently serves as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal – a position she has held since June 2015 and which included an extended period of acting as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Her career spans more than three decades in legal practice, academia and the judiciary.

Justice Savage became a Judge of the Western Cape High Court in 2015. During her tenure as a judge, Justice Savage has also served as an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Labour Appeal Court, and the Labour Court of South Africa. On 30 October 2025, she was elected President of the UN Appeals Tribunal.

Today’s appointment of two female Justices to the Constitutional Court, alongside the renewal of the Court’s full complement of 11 permanent judges for the first time in a decade, has been welcomed by many in the legal profession and beyond.

“With the appointment of Justices Dambuza and Savage, the Constitutional Court of South Africa becomes one of the very few woman-majority apex courts in the world,” says Judges Matter, a research and advocacy project dedicated to enhancing transparency and accountability within South Africa’s judiciary.

“This is significant, as South Africa marks 70 years of the Women’s March to the Union Buildings on 9 August. It is also symbolically significant, considering that in 1994, only two out of the over 100 judges in South Africa were women.”

Xola Nqola, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, also warmly welcomed the appointment of Justices Dambuza-Mayosi and Savage to the Constitutional Court of South Africa, noting that both appointees bring a wealth of legal expertise and an impeccable track record of judicial service.

“These important appointments come at a significant milestone in our democratic journey and constitute a meaningful step towards the continued transformation of the judiciary, not only in respect of racial representation but also in advancing gender parity, in line with our constitutional values,” added Nqola.

Nelson Mandela University, where Dambuza-Mayosi serves as Chairperson of Council, and the Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII), where both Justices serve on the Board, were among early well-wishers for the new appointees.

When Justices Dambuza-Mayosi and Savage join the Constitutional Court on 1 May, they will not only bring South Africa’s apex court to a full complement of permanent judges for the first time in a decade, the two highly respected judges will make South Africa one of very few countries to have a female-majority highest court.

Alongside Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, the full bench of the Constitutional Court also includes female Justices Leona Theron, Nonkosi Mhlantla, and Zukisa Tshiqi.

Lawyers for Human Rights also celebrated the appointments of Justice Dambuza-Mayosi and Justice Savage as “a pivotal milestone” in South Africa’s constitutional history, while noting that this advancement in gender representation must be viewed as a foundation to be deepened rather than a final destination.

“Transformation must transcend the composition of the Bench; it must be felt in the lived realities of every person seeking justice,” says Lawyers for Human Rights. “This historic shift does not just change the face of our judiciary - it places South Africa at the global forefront of gender equity within apex courts!”

While the specific appointments were roundly welcomed, concerns remained about the length of time the process to fill the vacant roles had taken, exacerbating growing issues the Constitutional Court has had with progressing cases efficiently.

Research shows that the workload of the Court has nearly tripled from 120 new cases in 2010 to more than 375 in 2024, notes Judges Matter. In terms of time taken from hearing to judgement, the performance of the court has declined from an average of 102 days in 2010 to an average of 214 days in 2024. “Delays in appointing judges, coupled with the resource mismatch, mean that this situation will continue into the future. We therefore call for urgent interventions to arrest this decline.”

“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,” says Mbekezeli Benjamin. “While we acknowledge the efforts the government, led by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, are taking to ensure the institutional independence of our courts, we call for urgent interventions to allocate more resources to ensure the Constitutional Court delivers justice speedily and regains its global reputation for judicial excellence.”