Misplaced Pages

South Africa Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development
Flag of South Africa
Incumbent Mmamoloko Kubayi since 3 December 2024
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	President of South Africa
Inaugural holder	J. B. M. Hertzog
Formation	31 May 1910
Deputy	Andries Nel
Salary	R2 401 633

The minister of justice and constitutional development is the justice minister in the Cabinet of South Africa. The minister is the political head of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Office of the Chief Justice. DoJCD in turn is responsible for administrative support to the courts, oversight of the National Prosecuting Authority, the provision of legal services to departments of state, and law reform.

The minister was called the minister of justice until 1999, when constitutional matters were added to his portfolio. Between May 2014 and June 2024, the Department of Correctional Services was subsumed under the ministry, which was led by the minister of justice and correctional services. This merger was reversed at the outset of President Cyril Ramaphosa's third cabinet, when a separate minister of correctional services was appointed.

History

In the 20th century, the South African justice minister was called the minister of justice. His purview included prisons until late 1990, when President F. W. de Klerk announced extensive prison reforms and established a separate Ministry of Prisons. Constitutional matters were also a separate portfolio under the minister of constitutional development, and then from 1994 under the minister of constitutional development and provincial affairs. At the outset of the second cabinet of President Thabo Mbeki in June 1999, constitutional development was detached from provincial affairs and subsumed under justice, under the minister of justice and constitutional development.

A further merger took place in May 2014, at the outset of President Jacob Zuma's second cabinet, when correctional services was subsumed under the ministry, creating the minister of justice and correctional services. However, the Department of Correctional Services remained distinct from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development; although they shared a political head or executive authority, they were operationally and legislatively distinct. They reported to the same parliamentary body, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, but separately. Each of the two deputy ministers was responsible for one portfolio: John Jeffery was responsible for the justice portfolio, and Thabang Makwetla and his successor, Patekile Holomisa, were responsible for correctional services.

Appointing his third cabinet on 30 June 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa reversed the merger effected by Zuma, appointing a minister of justice and constitutional development alongside a separate minister of correctional services.

Three prime ministers have been minister of justice, including two – Jan Smuts and B. J. Vorster – who held the position directly before being elected prime minister. In 2004, Brigitte Mabandla became the first woman to be appointed to the portfolio.

List of ministers

Justice (1910–1999)

Justice and constitutional development (1999–2014)

Justice and correctional services (2014–2024)

Justice and constitutional development (2024–present)

Institutions overseen by the ministry

The following institutions are housed in the justice and correctional services portfolio, although most have a significant degree of operational and statutory independence:

• Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
• Office of the Chief Justice
• Public Protector
• National Prosecuting Authority
• Legal Aid South Africa
• South African Human Rights Commission
• Electoral Commission
• Judicial Service Commission

References

1. "Here's how much South Africa's ministers and other top government officials will get paid this year". BusinessTech. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
2. ^ "Administration of Justice". Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
3. "Apartheid cabinet supported Witdoek vigilantes". The Mail & Guardian. 11 June 1997. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
4. "Masters of the (late) universe". The Mail & Guardian. 16 April 1999. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
5. "Composition of the Cabinet". Nelson Mandela: The Presidential Years. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
6. "Glance At Mandela's Cabinet With AM-South Africa". AP News. 11 May 1994. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
7. "Profiles of the cabinet ministers". The Mail & Guardian. 17 June 1999. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
8. "President Jacob Zuma announces members of the National Executive, Pretoria". The Presidency. 25 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
9. Wynn, Craig (25 May 2014). "Zuma announces new Cabinet". EWN. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
10. "Justice and Correctional Services - Justice [ Deputy Ministry of ]". South African Government. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
11. "Justice and Correctional Services - Corrections [ Deputy Ministry of ]". South African Government. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
12. "Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the appointment of members of the national executive". Presidency of South Africa. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.

v t e Ministers of the South African Government
President of South Africa Deputy President of South Africa Cabinet of South Africa
Agriculture Basic Education Communications and Digital Technologies Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Correctional Services Defence and Military Veterans Electricity and Energy Employment and Labour Finance Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Health Higher Education Home Affairs Human Settlements International Relations and Cooperation Justice and Constitutional Development Land Reform and Rural Development Mineral and Petroleum Resources Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Police Public Service and Administration Public Works and Infrastructure Science, Technology and Innovation Small Business Development Social Development Sports, Arts and Culture The Presidency Tourism Trade, Industry and Competition Transport Water and Sanitation Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

This article about South African government is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Government ministers of South Africa
• Justice ministers of South Africa
• South African government stubs