Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has welcomed the endorsement by Parliament of the extension of the term of office of Justice Sandile Ngcobo as the Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa.
On Thursday, the National Assembly passed a motion supporting a draft resolution by the Chief Whip of the majority party, supporting President Zuma's decision to extend Judge Ngcobo's term.
Justice Ngcobo, who was appointed to the current position by the President in 2009, would have been a judge for 15 years in August 2011 and therefore eligible for discharge from office in terms of the law.
A Chief Justice who has served for a period of 12 years at the Constitutional Court plus a minimum of three years at another court, before he or she was appointed at the Constitutional Court, or a Chief Justice who served 15 straight years at the Constitutional Court may be requested by the President to continue to serve as a Chief Justice for such period as may be determined by the President.
