Law Faculty Trust Chair in Social Justice

Prof Thuli Madonsela

BA (Swaziland)  LLB (Witwatersrand)

 

 

 

 

Prof Thuli Madonsela is the Law Faculty Trust Chair in Social Justice and Law Professor at Stellenbosch University, where she conducts and coordinates social justice research and is involved with teaching of Constitutional and Administrative Law. She is also the founder of the Thuma Foundation, an independent democracy leadership and literacy social enterprise. As an advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Professor Madonsela has been a lifelong activist on social justice, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance, and the rule of law. Professor Madonsela is one of the drafters of South Africa’s Constitution and co-architect of several laws that sought to anchor South Africa’s democracy. The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, the Employment Equity Act, and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act are among the laws she helped draft. In 2016, she completed a seven-year term as South Africa’s Public Protector, a quasi-judicial administrative oversight body responsible for investigating and redressing maladministration, corruption, executive ethic violations, and related improprieties in state affairs. Before she became the Public Protector, Professor Madonsela served in various leadership capacities in civil society and government, including full-time Commissioner in the South African Law Reform Commission. Professor Madonsela is a co-architect and Founding Chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre. She is also co-founder and one of the inaugural leaders of the South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA). Her work has received national and global recognition, including several Lifetime Achievement Awards, among them an award by the Premier of Gauteng in 2018. She has seven honorary doctor of law degrees, from Wits University, Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, University of Fort Hare, North-West University, Rhodes University, and the Law Society of Ontario. Peer recognition includes the South African Law Society’s Truth and Justice Award, the General Council of the Bar’s Sydney and Felicia Kentridge Award, Botswana Lawyers Association Honorary Membership of the Botswana Bar, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association’s Truth and Justice Award. Professor Madonsela is a Paul Harris Fellow; she is the recipient of Transparency International’s Integrity Award as well as the German Africa Prize, and the Africa Anticorruption Crusader Award. She is a Tallberg Global Leader; additionally, she spent a year at Harvard in 2017 as an Advanced Leadership Fellow. She is also the first Director of the Centre for Social Justice at the SU Faculty of Law.

Website:  Social Justice website

Twitter:   @CFSJ_MPlan

Facebook: Social Justice M-Plan