Chancellor


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Justice Mandisa Maya

Justice Mandisa Maya is the new Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) from 01 July 2021. She succeeded His Excellency President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa as the Chancellor of the University.

Justice Maya is the Deputy Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa with effect from 1 September 2022.  Previously she was the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa (SCA) 2017 - 2022 and is the first woman in South Africa to hold the positions of Deputy President and President of the SCA.

Justice Mandisa Maya is also a member of the South African Judicial Service Commission which manages the appointment of Judges and all matters relating to the judiciary and the administration of justice. She is also member and adjudicator of the National Bar Examination Board and as well as the chairperson of its Appeal Tribunal.

Her contribution to the country’s democratic institutions and jurisprudence dates back from 1994 when she served as a case investigator for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) during the first democratic South African elections. Subsequently, she practiced as an advocate until she was appointed as a judge in 1999.

Justice Maya is also the current President of South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (SAC-IAWJ) and has been awarded three Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degrees by Nelson Mandela University, Walter Sisulu University and University of Fort Hare for her contribution to the development of South Africa’s jurisprudence as well as the empowerment of women in the legal profession and in the judiciary. Her educational qualifications are – a B.Proc degree from the University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University); an LLB degree from the University of Natal, Durban; and an LLM degree from Duke University, USA.