The Judicial Service Commission has recommended Zimbabwean-born lawyer Tapiwa Gandidze for appointment to South Africa’s Labour Court, while leaving two vacancies unfilled in a move that highlights ongoing staffing challenges.

Gandidze emerged as the only candidate approved for the Labour Court bench during the latest round of judicial interviews. Judge Leicester Adams, who was interviewed as the sole candidate for the Electoral Court, also received a recommendation.

Both names will now be forwarded to President Cyril Ramaphosa for final approval, with Adams’s recommendation marking his third attempt at securing an Electoral Court appointment.

During her interview, Gandidze, now a South African citizen, addressed questions about her handling of cases involving foreign nationals.

“I am not aware of any matter that I have worked on where there were foreign nationals involved,” she stated. “When I sit as a judge, whether you are a South African or a foreign national, I am just applying the law. I look at the facts and I apply the law to the fact.”

The JSC’s decision to recommend only one candidate for the Labour Court, leaving two positions vacant, has prompted discussion about the judicial appointment process amid growing concerns over case backlogs throughout South Africa’s court system.

Legal experts point to these continued vacancies as contributing factors to delayed justice, particularly in labour disputes where timely resolutions are often crucial for both employers and workers.