Durban - Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube has described the appointment of Judge Thoba Portia Poyo-Dlwati as the first female judge president of the province as groundbreaking.
In a statement yesterday, Dube-Ncube congratulated Judge Poyo-Dlwati, whose appointment was recently confirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The premier said the appointment affirmed that women were leaders in their own right and capable of occupying the highest leadership positions in society.
“On behalf of provincial government and the people of KwaZulu-Natal we congratulate Judge Poyo-Dlwati, who in a ground-breaking development, has ascended to the highest echelons in the judiciary in our province as judge president for the KwaZulu-Natal division,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said the KZN government had had an opportunity to work with Judge Poyo-Dlwati in various capacities as a judge and legal practitioner and found her to be exacting in her standards as a person and a consummate professional.
“Under her leadership we have no doubt she will lead a judiciary that will continue to exercise its independence and fairness, and which will enhance the standing and integrity of the justice crime-prevention system in building a safe KwaZulu-Natal where the Constitution rules supreme,” said Dube-Ncube.
“The Mercury’’s sister publication, the Sunday Tribune reported that Judge Poyo-Dlwati’s appointment as KZN’s judge president would create the second-most senior female head of court in the country after Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.