President Cyril Ramaphosa nominated Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya as the chief justice on Tuesday afternoon, paving the way for the country's first woman chief justice.
A statement from the Presidency read: "President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in terms of Section 174(3) of the Constitution, embarked on a process of consultation with the leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and the Judicial Service Commission to convey his nomination of Judge Mandisa Muriel Lindelwa Maya as chief justice of the Republic of South Africa."
Maya was the Judicial Service Commission's first choice when it conducted interviews for the chief justice position in 2022.