By Nomfundo Manyathi

In mid-August President Jacob Zuma announced the appointment of Judge Raymond Zondo (52) to the Constitutional Court, where he will fill the vacancy created after former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo retired last year.

Judge Zondo was selected from a shortlist of candidates compiled by the Judicial Service Commission, which also included Supreme Court of Appeal judges Lebotsang ‘Ronnie’ Bosielo, Mandisa Maya and Robert Nugent.

Judge Zondo initially served his articles at Mxenge and Company in Durban; however, after the assassination of anti-apartheid activist and attorney Victoria Mxenge, he ceded his articles to Mthembu and Co and later to Chennells Albertyn and Partners, also in Durban.

He later became partner at Durban law firm Mathe and Zondo Inc. In 1994 he was appointed as a member of a ministerial task team to draft the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 and in 1996 he was appointed the first chairperson of the governing body of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Justice Zondo was appointed as a judge of the Labour Court in 1997. In May 1999 he sat as a judge of the then Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court for a short period before being appointed acting Judge President of the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court from August 1999. He became Judge President of these courts in May 2000 for a period of ten years.

After his term of office as Judge President ended, Justice Zondo sat on the North Gauteng High Court Bench. He then sat as an acting judge at the Constitutional Court until May 2012, after which he returned to the North Gauteng High Court.

His term of office at the Constitutional Court commenced on 1 September 2012.

Justice Zondo holds five degrees, including three master’s degrees in labour, patent and commercial law respectively.

Nomfundo Manyathi, nomfundo@derebus.org.za

This article was first published in De Rebus in 2012 (Oct) DR 8.