Justice Nambitha Dambuza, a candidate vying for one of the two vacancies at the Constitutional Court, says that it is essential for the apex court’s complement to reflect gender representivity.

This comes as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) kicked off its October 2025 leg of interviews with the candidates raising their hands to serve in the highest court in the land.

Seven candidates are expected to be interviewed over the next two days.

Justice Dambuza, who is first up, was probed on Section 174(2) of the Constitution, which requires the appointment of judicial officers to consider the need for the judiciary to reflect the racial and gender composition of South Africa.

Dambuza was asked to reflect on the latter requirement (gender composition).

President of the SCA Mahube Betty Molemela asks, ” Thank you very much. Section 174, subsection 2 of the Constitution states that there’s a need for the judiciary to reflect broadly the racial and gender composition of South Africa and that this must be considered when judicial officers are appointed. Would you say it is essential for the complement of judges of the constitutional court, as the apex court and as a court that was established more than 30 years ago, would you say that it is essential for its complement to reflect gender representivity in particular? Thank you.”

Candidate Justice Nambitha Dambuza replies, “Thanks, President Molemela. Yes, I definitely would say so. I think presently the court has four women and four men, and I think it is well poised to implement that requisite in section 174, and therefore it would enhance the confidence that people would have in the court in seeing that it truly represents what obtains in their communities as a leading court. We need to ensure that in as far as that can be done, it is done.”

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