The Law Faculty at Stellenbosch University (SU) is pleased to announce that Advocate Thuli Madonsela, recently retired Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa, has accepted an offer to take up a chair in social justice in the Faculty.
Advocate Madonsela confirmed her involvement in the Faculty with the following words: “I am supremely honoured by the offer of the chair in social justice by the University of Stellenbosch. I hope to work with my colleagues at the Law Faculty to play our part in accelerating the pace of achieving the constitutional promise of an inclusive society based in social justice, shared prosperity, friendship and peace. I am also looking forward to working with young people at the university and beyond on these matters.”
Prof Sonia Human, Dean of the Faculty of Law, describes the decision by Adv Madonsela to join the Faculty as a tremendous honour and one that will contribute significantly to the Faculty’s continued commitment to champion the realisation of a constitutional vision for South African society.
Adv Madonsela will take up the chair in 2018, after a sabbatical. The focus of the chair will be on issues of social justice – including administrative justice. In her new role, Adv Madonsela will be able to continue her work on those themes that became synonymous with her seven-year tenure as South Africa’s third Public Protector. These include ethical governance in public institutions and realising the Constitution’s mandate of a public administration that responds to people’s needs, is accountable and transparent and that promotes efficient, economic and effective use of resources (as stated in section 195). As part of her remit, Adv Madonsela will not only engage in teaching and research, but will remain involved in civil society initiatives.
ABOUT THULI MADONSELA
Thulisile Nomkhosi “Thuli” Madonsela was born in Soweto and obtained the degrees BA (Law) and LLB from the universities of Swaziland and the Witwatersrand, respectively. After teaching at secondary schools for a number of years, she served in various positions in the trade union movement in the mid to late 1980s. In the 1990s she moved to higher education and worked at the University of the Witwatersrand in applied legal studies. She served as technical expert in the drafting of the Constitution before working in the Department of Justice, inter alia as Chief Director Transformation and Equity. She served as a full-time member of the South African Law Reform Commission from 2007 to 2009. In 2009 she was appointed as South Africa’s third Public Protector, her term ending on 14 October 2016.
Adv Madonsela holds honorary doctorates in law from the universities of Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Fort Hare and Rhodes University. She has also been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards such as the Law Society of South Africa’s inaugural Truth and Justice Award; the German Africa Foundation’s annual prize; Transparency International’s prestigious Integrity Award in 2014; and, also in 2014, she was listed as one of TIME Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world.
Advokaat Thuli Madonsela aanvaar leerstoel in sosiale geregtigheid in die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, Universiteit Stellenbosch
Die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch kondig met groot genoeë aan dat advokaat Thuli Madonsela, die onlangs uitgetrede Openbare Beskermer van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, ʼn aanbod aanvaar het om ʼn leerstoel in sosiale geregtigheid in die Fakulteit te beklee.
Advokaat Madonsela het haar betrokkenheid in die Fakulteit met die volgende woorde bevestig: “I am supremely honoured by the offer of the chair in social justice by the University of Stellenbosch. I hope to work with my colleagues at the Law Faculty to play our part in accelerating the pace of achieving the constitutional promise of an inclusive society based in social justice, shared prosperity, friendship and peace. I am also looking forward to working with young people at the university and beyond on these matters.”
Prof Sonia Human, Dekaan van die Fakulteit Regsgeleerdheid, beskryf adv Madonsela se besluit om by die Fakulteit aan te sluit as ʼn geweldige eer vir die Fakulteit. Volgens haar sal die aanstelling ʼn betekenisvolle bydrae maak tot die Fakulteit se voortgesette verbintenis tot die realisering van die grondwetlike visie vir die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing.
Adv Madonsela sal die leerstoel in 2018 na afloop van ʼn jaar sabbatsverlof opneem. Die leerstoel sal in die breë op kwessies van sosiale geregtigheid, insluitend administratiewe geregtigheid, fokus. Adv Madonsela sal, as bekleër van die leerstoel, steeds krities omgaan met die tematiek wat sinoniem geword het met haar ampstermyn as Suid-Afrika se derde Openbare Beskermer. Dit sluit in etiese bestuur in openbare instellings asook die realisering van die grondwetlike visie vir openbare administrasie gerig op mense se behoeftes, wat verantwoordbaar en deursigtig is en wat die voordelige, ekonomiese en doeltreffende aanwending van hulpbronne bevorder, soos uiteengesit in artikel 195. Benewens haar onderrig- en navorsingstake sal adv Madonsela ook voortgaan met haar betrokkenheid by inisiatiewe vanuit die burgerlike samelewing as deel van die leerstoel se aktiwiteite.
Oor Thuli Madonsela
Thulisile Nomkhosi “Thuli” Madonsela is in Soweto gebore en het die grade BA (Regsgeleerdheid) en LLB onderskeidelik aan die universiteite van Swaziland en die Witwatersrand verwerf. Nadat sy ʼn aantal jaar by hoërskoolonderwys betrokke was, het sy vanaf die middel tot laat 1980’s verskeie posisies in die vakbondbeweging beklee. In die 1990’s was sy aktief in hoër onderwys, spesifiek aan die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand, waar sy gefokus het op toegepaste regstudies. Sy het gedien as tegniese deskundige in die skryf van die Grondwet en het daarna by die Departement van Justisie aangesluit waar sy onder meer gedien het as Hoofdirekteur Transformasie en Diensbillikheid. Sy was vanaf 2007 ʼn voltydse lid van die Suid-Afrikaanse Regshervormingskommissie. Sy is in 2009 aangestel as Suid-Afrika se derde Openbare Beskermer en haar termyn het op 14 Oktober 2016 tot ʼn einde gekom.
Adv Madonsela het eredoktersgrade in die regte ontvang van die universiteite van Stellenbosch, Kaapstad, Fort Hare en die Rhodes Universiteit. Sy is ook die ontvanger van ʼn aantal gesogte toekennings. So was sy byvoorbeeld die eerste ontvanger van die Wetsgenootskap van Suid-Afrika se Waarheid- en Geregtigheidstoekenning; die German Africa Foundation se jaarlikse toekenning en Transparency International se gesogte Integriteitstoekenning in 2014. Hierbenewens was sy ook in 2014 aangewys as een van die tydskrif Time se top 100 mees invloedryke persone ter wêreld.