President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new round of judicial appointments across South Africa’s superior courts, filling vacancies in the Supreme Court of Appeal and several High Court divisions as part of efforts to strengthen judicial capacity and ensure the effective administration of justice.
The appointments, made in terms of section 174(6) of the Constitution and on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), include senior judges, advocates and academics who will assume office between May and August 2026.
Among the most significant appointments is that of Justice Thandi Victoria Norman to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), effective from 15 May 2026. Justice Bashier Vally and Justice Leonie Windell have also been elevated to the SCA, both taking office on 1 June 2026.
The Gauteng Division of the High Court will also see a leadership change, with Justice Aubrey Phage Ledwaba appointed as Judge President of the division from 15 May 2026. The Gauteng Division remains one of the busiest courts in the country, handling a substantial volume of commercial, constitutional and public law matters.
The Eastern Cape Division received three appointments across its Mthatha and Makhanda seats. Nolubabalo Cengani-Mbakaza will join the Mthatha bench from 1 July 2026, while Advocate Sally Ann Collett will take office in Makhanda on the same date. Professor Nomthandazo Patience Ntlama-Makhanya, an academic and legal scholar, has also been appointed to the Makhanda bench with effect from 1 August 2026.
The Western Cape Division of the High Court received the largest number of appointments in the latest round. Rodges Deon Barendse, Advocate Diane Margaret Davis SC, Advocate Ncumisa Thoko Mayosi, Advocate Pinda Njokweni and Advocate Phillipa Susan Van Zyl will all join the division between June and July 2026.
The appointments continue the broader process of renewing and strengthening the judiciary through the filling of long-standing vacancies and the introduction of practitioners from diverse professional backgrounds, including the Bar, academia and the existing bench.
In a statement issued by the Presidency, President Ramaphosa wished the judges well as they assume their new responsibilities.
The appointments come at a time when South Africa’s courts continue to face growing caseloads, increasing public scrutiny and ongoing discussions around judicial transformation, efficiency and institutional capacity.
