On 28 September 2023, Unisa conferred a Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Honoris Causa) to South Africa's Deputy Chief Justice, Mandisa Maya, for her outstanding contribution to justice and advancing gender equality in the country during the #UnisaSpringGraduations.

Prof Olaotse Kole (left) conferring the honorary doctorate on Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya (right)

Acting Executive Dean of the College of Law, Prof Olaotse Kole, stated that Maya has made significant breakthroughs and contributions towards advancing the country's legal system. He said that Maya not only served as the first president of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa but was also the first woman to hold the position.

Kole added that Maya tirelessly advocates for social justice and equality, particularly towards women and the marginalised. "Overall", he said: "Maya's consistent excellence of selfless human service throughout her legal career and her leadership and exceptional administrative skills exemplified by high ethical and moral standards make her a worthy candidate for the honorary doctorate."

A university that produces trailblazers

In her welcome address, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula expressed gratitude for the presence of Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, including dignitaries from national, provincial, and local governments and various advocate societies in the country.

Prof Puleng LenkaBula

"This spring graduation ceremony does not just affirm the university as a pioneer in creating distance education in the world, but it affirms that 147 years later, the education system that Unisa spawned has become even more relevant in the aftermath of Covid-19," said LenkaBula. She added: "Universities are now using the open distance and e-learning education system, including other industries, communities and society who see the importance of mediating distance through technology."  

The VC explained that as the country celebrates Heritage Month, Unisa's Spiring graduation celebrations affirm the university as a truly African university, shaping futures in the service of humanity.

Towards the graduates, the VC stated that they now join the prestigious alumni of the university, which, she said, include President Nelson Mandela, musician Hugh Masekela, and several judges of note, including former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa and Chief Justice Dr Raymond Zondo, who was also recently conferred an honorary doctorate by Unisa.

And of the women that have also made trailblazing strides, the VC named Gill Marcus, the former Governor of the Reserve bank, who was the first woman ever to hold the position, and former University of Cape Town VC, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, who was the first black woman to hold the position. "And today we have the honour of having the first woman in the country who served as the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal as one of our illustrious alumni," said the VC.

Diversity and inclusion

Receiving her doctorate, Maya said the degree does not exclusively belong to her but to her entire family, including the people of rural Transkei who raised her. She noted further the degree serves as a symbolic recognition of women in a male-dominated field. "Gender discrimination manifests itself in almost every aspect of the society, commonly in the workspaces. Despite women constituting the largest proportion of students in higher education, the professions across the board are mostly populated and controlled by men because the absorption rate and staying power in the labour market for women is low," said Maya.

Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya

A fervent champion of equality, Maya remarked that the gender gap in various occupations continues to be widened by several barriers preventing women from getting equal opportunities, which causes them to be subjected to unfair employment practices, such as being paid less than their male counterparts for the same work.

"While academic institutions and the legal professions have been at the forefront for gender inclusivity, underrepresentation of women in these industries persists," she argued. "According to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, towards public high education, only 43% of permanent academic staff are women, and there are approximately 18.5% women professors and 29.8% women associate professors. The South African legal profession and the judiciary do not fair better and continue to face the challenge of meaningful transformation," she added.

Maya stressed: "The pace to diversify our institutions and make them representative of our society has been woefully slow. Women have fought for gender parity. In the legal sphere, 2023 marks the centenary of promulgating the Legal Women's Practise Act, which allowed South African women lawyers to practise their craft and participate equally in the legal profession."

Maya shared that the appointment of women to various positions is on a gradual rise. She said the judiciary has been trying to advance more women into senior positions. "Recently, the second woman president of the Supreme Court of Appeal was appointed following my ascendancy to the Constitutional court as the country's first female Deputy Chief Justice."

Dignitaries at the #UnisaSpringGraduations and Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya's honorary doctorate ceremony

Across the nine high courts in the country, Maya attested that two are led by women judge presidents, while five courts have a woman judge as their deputy judge president. "There has also been an uptick in the corporate world for women leaders," she asserted.  

Maya argued the same plight exists in the higher education sector. "Gender imbalance persists within the higher education sector's executive level – of South Africa's 26 universities, only six, including Unisa, are led by women VCs and deserve utmost respect and support," she said, to a resounding applause. She stated that Unisa should be lauded for its prudence and boldness in recognising the ability of women to lead committedly.

"The appointment of Prof LenkaBula, the first woman VC of Unisa, in over 148 years of the university's existence, signified the commitment to advance women and promote equal opportunities in academia. I congratulate her for breaking patriarchal barriers and making an indelible mark in the history of the country's oldest and largest institution in higher learning," said Maya.  

A culmination of years of hard work

Concluding her address, Maya congratulated the graduates: "Well done all of you. You have done the country proud." She argued that a university degree is still the most significant achievement, and education remains a critical component for the development of humankind. She told the graduates that they have triumphed over daunting obstacles and trials, and to this, she said: "May you go serve your families and communities with the knowledge that you gained."

#Unisa150

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement