Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
Composition of the Constitutional Court in the first and second terms of 2015
MEDIA STATEMENT
Composition of the Constitutional Court in the first and second terms of 2015
Justice Chris Jafta is on long leave from 1 November 2014 to 31 March 2015. In addition, Justices Ray Zondo and Johann van der Westhuizen are on long leave from 1 February to 31 May 2015. The vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Thembile Skweyiya has not yet been filled.
In the stead of the judges on leave, and as against the current vacancy, Justice Zukisa Tshiqi and Justice Leona Theron of the Supreme Court of Appeal have been appointed as Acting Justices of the Constitutional Court until 31 May 2015. In addition, Judge‑President Mahube Betty Molemela, of the Free State High Court, has been appointed for the first two terms of 2015, until 31 May 2015. Deputy Judge-President Achmat Jappie, of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, has been appointed for the first term of 2015, until 31 March 2015.
