WATCH LIVE: Zondo in hot seat for Chief Justice interview

Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is on Friday being interviewed for the Chief Justice position.

Zondo is the fourth and final candidate.

The other three candidates are Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) Judge President Mandisa Maya, Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo and Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.

On Thursday, Mlambo said South Africa’s judiciary operated in a toxic environment and was attacked on a number of fronts. He said this was a result of the polarised political space in the country.

“You also have unfounded claims of corruption against judges. But more worrying, there is growing corruption involving court operations in South Africa. The corruption is not by judicial officers, I have to say,” said Mlambo.

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He raised concerns about inadequate resources for judges and magistrates, who also face a high case workload every day.

Mlambo also vowed to modernise the court system should he be appointed chief justice.

Mlambo said the need for the digitisation of court records was urgent.

Judicial leaders were once told during a presentation by an official from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development that the department has court records that could fill five rugby stadiums, he told the commissioners.

“Some people laughed it off when it rained and flooded the Gauteng High Court, affecting a lot of files and records. We don’t need to experience that hard take, we need to digitise those court files. Once you digitise them, they’re available at your fingerprints and you won’t need need physical space that you pay for to store those records.”

Additional reporting by Getrude Makhafola

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