Thank you, Deputy Chief Justice
- Wits University
Statement: Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s service to the nation has been second to none, says Professor Adam Habib.
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, extends its sincerest congratulations and appreciation to Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke who retires from the Constitutional Court this week.
Moseneke is one of the country’s leading jurists and has served South Africa and the continent with distinction for decades.
“We want to congratulate and thank Justice Moseneke. His service to the nation has been second to none. He is one of our country’s most eminent judges and his legal authority, intellectual integrity and personal calibre has had a deep impact on the judiciary and other entities beyond the walls of our courts,” says Professor Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University.
“Always honourable, principled and righteous, Justice Moseneke is one of the best legal minds this country has seen. He has had a profound influence on transforming the South African judiciary and played a key role in supporting efforts to transform the higher education sector. We sincerely hope that in his well-deserved retirement, our Chancellor will continue to contribute to Wits’ efforts to realise a truly transformed education sector in the near future.”
Moseneke is the Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, a position he has held since 2006.
His global influence and legacy is highlighted in the work he has undertaken as part of the team who drafted the interim South African Constitution of 1993; having served as the deputy chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission in 1994; and as the longest-serving Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
In the education sector we are especially inspired by his resilience and dedication to obtain an education amidst unthinkable obstacles. Despite being arrested by the apartheid government at the age of 15 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Robben Island, Moseneke studied and matriculated in prison and obtained a BA degree in English and Political Science, as well as a B Luris degree. He later completed an LLB.
He started practising law in 1976 and by 1994 he served as an acting Judge in the Supreme Court. He is also a founding member of the Black Lawyers' Association and of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers of South Africa.
Moseneke served the corporate world as chairperson and director of various boards; is a recipient of numerous awards of honour, performance and excellence; and holds several honorary doctorates.
Wits University will in the coming months, honour Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke for his contribution to the South African judiciary and his legacy on and off the bench. Further information in this regard will be announced in the near future.