President Jacob Zuma has appointed Justice Raymond Mnyamezeli Mlungisi Zondo as judge of the Constitutional Court with effect from 1 September.

Zondo’s appointment came in terms of section 174(4) of the Constitution, from the list prepared by the Judicial Service Commission and after consultation with Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and leaders of parties represented in the National Assembly.

“We wish Justice Zondo well in the exercise of this important duty to the country and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” Zuma said.

Zondo has more than two decades of experience in the legal field and on the bench.

He holds a B Iuris degree from the University of Zululand, an LLB degree from the University of Natal, an LLM degree (cum laude) from the University of South Africa (Unisa) in Labour Law, an LLM degree with specialisation in Commercial Law from Unisa and an LLM degree in patent law with Unisa.

Zondo has been a judge since 1997 and has 15 years’ experience as a judicial officer.

He was appointed as an acting and later permanent judge of the Labour Court in 1997. In 1999, he was appointed as a judge of the then Transvaal Provincial Division before he was appointed as Acting Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court and Labour Court in August 1999.

Zondo was appointed Judge President of the Labour Appeal Court on 1 May 2000 – a position in which he served his full term of 10 years which expired in 2010.

On 8 November 2010, Zondo resumed serving as a judge of the North Gauteng High Court until 31 October 2011.

With effect from 1 November 2011, he was appointed as Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court. He served in that position until 31 May 2012.

He is presently a Judge of the North Gauteng Division of the High Court.