The University of South Africa (Unisa) announced on Tuesday that it will award Doctor of Laws (LLD) (Honoris Causa) to Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya for “their excellent contribution to the legal profession”.

This follows a resolution endorsed by the Unisa Council on June 29. 

Separate graduation ceremonies will be held at the ZK Matthews Great Hall on Unisa’s Mucklenueck Campus in Pretoria.

The graduation ceremony for Zondo will take place on Wednesday. Unisa said this is in recognition of Zondo’s demonstration of ethical leadership, his commitment to defending the independence of the judiciary as an important arm of the State and for maintaining the rule of law and ensuring that justice is accessible for all members of society.

Maya’s graduation ceremony will take place on Thursday and the awarding of an honorary doctorate to her will be in recognition of her efforts to promote and protect the Constitution and its values, the maintenance of high standards in the development of jurisprudence, and empowering and mentoring women in the judiciary and the broader legal profession.